Vern (This Vernal Splendor IPA)
Yakima Craft Brewing Co. / Hop Capital Brewing Co.

On tap at Yakima taproom, part of a flight. Normal looking pour. More typical of a NW IPA, big hops bite, medium weight body, fairly chewy. Better than the flagship IPA.

better than its ratings but really nothing special for a basic ipa, especially in the motherland of where all these hops grow, i really expected a much more dramatic and flavorful and expert sort of beer here, but it was not to be. it is not as bad as its ratings though, its solid ipa, just not as impressive as it should be given the availability of great ingredients here. some sweeter orange notes to the hops, a lot of bitterness, but less of the nuances fruity or earthy elements we tend to look for in the best ipas out there. its well enough balanced by a cerealy slightly toasted even malt base thats maybe a touch more substantial than it needs to be, but i am also thinking the malt is fine here and that the hops just dont quite deliver. to be fair, i had this beer in the context of some amazing local hoppy beer from the likes of double mountain and bale breaker, so i thought this would be more of the same high quality hop nectar, and it definitely left a little to be desired compared to that field. i liked their other beers better than this one...

Nice orange color, exciting. Aroma was c hoppy, nothing more than a single dry hop charge I would guess with old school Yakima C hops.

Taste had some citrus going for it, crystal malt, not too heavy unlike chrystal malt carver's saggy boobs and stretch marks after all them Tindr miles between Imlay and Reno. Relatively inexpensive.

 

 

Hopefully just got a bad batch. Overly foamy upon opening and acridly bitter. Will try again later

Pours a finger and half of head on a clear medium straw body.
The aroma is mild grapefruit and apricot.
The taste is solid bitterness with a touch of honey.
The texture is crisp and light.
Average smelling but a fine flavor.

 

22oz bottle poured into a large mug. No dates or codes that I can see.

Pours clear golden with a gigantic white head that fades fairly slowly. Heavily carbonated (probably helps support the massive head and strong retention). Pretty beer, except for the unattractively large head. Smell is carbonation, mild spice, maybe a bit of onion, banana, and lemon.

Taste is bitter lemon and pine aftertaste, a slight, tantalizing honey sweetness lurking about in there. And then just a slam of bitterness. I like it right now, but I may change my tune toward the end of the bottle. We shall see.

Mouthfeel is super dry and light (like, the super dry that Asahi Super Dry advertises but fails to achieve). Overall, surprisingly good beer.

Big foam-up in the tall glass, but not a gusher. Yellow color with a touch of amber. Handsome tall foam sits on the brew for a long time. Faint plastic nose does not bode well. The stuff starts out with some sweetness and tastes like it might be strong. Nice enough mouthfeel with the sharp carbonation.

I fail to find any pleasant hop flavor here. It's just a vegetable bitter taste as the malty sweetness evaporates. The unrelieved bitterness finally gets to me. Well, after half a glass I've had enough. This needs a nice bland tall boy to dilute the medicine. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Wine World and Spirits in north Seattle.

 

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a light to medium golden amber with a one finger white head that disspates slowly, leaving nice lacing. Aroma of citrus, slightly floral hops, melon fruit, faint soapy component. Flavor is citrus hops, intense lemon juice, mild caramel malt, finishing with more intense lemon concentrate and lingering citrus hops. Nice medium body with some creaminess. Possibly the most lemon citrus forward IPA I've ever tasted. A bit disconcerting (and with a mild soapiness) at first, but finishes quite refreshing and with a nice lingering lemon and citrus hop bitterness. Kind of unbalanced, but enjoyable. This one kind of grew on me.

 

 

 

22oz bottle I picked up in Spokane. Poured into a Pint glass.

A - Cloudy, pale light orange with an explosive white foamy head. Great retention and tons of lacing.

S - Lemons, pepper, old socks?

T - Again lemons and pepper, some Belgian type yeast flavors as well.

D - Over carbonated and a light body.

O - Hmm... is this one skunked? not sure here.

 

Copper and orange color, looks cool, like you want in an ipa. Aroma was hoppy, not too lively, nothing over the top, not a lot of dry hopping.

Smooth, mild citrus flavor, easy drinking, lays the caramel on in a decent proportion. Could call this one a decent balanced summer ipa. Not heavy, easily flows off the palate, leaving almost no sign of aftertaste.

A worthwhile $5 bottle, but there is nothing going on out of the ordinary here.

Appearance: Pours a clear golden color with a slightly amber tint; the three finger head leaves plenty of lacing behind

Smell: Piney aroma with hints of lemon and biscuity malt underneath

Taste: Slight touch of biscuity malt, up front, with the pine coming on strong through mid-palate; a touch of lemon in the hop profile, as well, but there is also a harsh, aspirin-like character to the bitterness; the biscuit is also present in the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: While I am not enamored with the hop profile, this is a nice IPA and the best of the beers from this brewery that I have tried

Thanks, barleywinefiend, for the opportunity

pours a clear yellow-orange with a small white head, and great lacing.

smell is of citrus, a sweetness, and a touch of floral.

taste is of hops, citrus, malt, and caramel, ends on the bitter side.

for an IPA it is lacking, looks good, but the taste just is not quite there.