Centenial IPA
5 Seasons Westside

 

A: single finger head on a hazy golden amber body with nice lacing.

S: typical earthy, slightly pungent and citrus centennial hop aroma which is nice and full.

T: nice balance of malt and pine/earthy hops but simple as expected.

M: medium body ad moderate carbonation.

Overall: a very well balanced brew and nicely drinkable.

After a few days of having my head filled with corporate nonsense, I needed an IPA. Voila'! One is on the menu. Praise the beer gods.

Pour is a lovely clear amber, and when the glass is raised to the nasal passages, hops slap the senses with multiple hands. Yowza. Sweet but filled with bitterness.

Centennial IPA is a salut to the fact that we should all be drinking our IPAs local & fresh. This glass just brimmed with hops; earthy, citrusy, bitter, with an oily dose of resins that flowered & bloomed as the beer warmed a bit. Along with all the hop goodness was a massive malt background that provided an almost honey-like sweetness, & stopped just short of masking the hops (which would have made me sad & weepy). Balance in an IPA? Don't need it. But it was executed nicely here, & I couldn't stop raising the glass to my lips.

An exceedingly balanced, clean, lovely IPA that frankly made my night. Oh, & I nabbed the last one, the keg blew right after. Good, clean living. Excellent beer.

A - poured with one finger if foam on to of a slightly hazy, dark copper colored body.. The had fades slowly and leaves excellent lace.

S - a nice, green hop aroma with spicy notes and some toasted malt.

T - pine and sweaty tropical fruit hops up front. Lots of thick malt in the middle with rotated grain and caramel. Finishes with floral grapefruit and toffee malt.

M - medium thick body, moderate carbonation, and a slightly sweet finish.

D - very drinkable and well balanced but it still has a robust hop character.

Appearance: Dispensed a dark copper-hued body, fairly clear, and contained underneath a sudsy, off-white head.

Smell: Subtle notes of toast, dry caramel, candied citrus, and floral, though nobody really taking the lead here.

Taste: Malty tastes of bread crusts toasted up and given a thin veneer of dark caramel that's quickly swallowed by a wave of white grapefruit peels, resins, and gardenias. Moderately bitter. Sustained grassiness on the back half until the dry, not-quite-citric finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Overall: A good IPA, it's ample maltiness, while not getting in the way of the hops, was enough to keep the beer a bit more balanced and grounded than some.

ABV reported at about 6.8% by the bartender.

Pint served at the brewpub.

A: slight hazy; darkish amber with a durable head that leaves a rather full coat of lacing on the glass.

Aroma: Centennial hops with a substantial malt backbone.

T: hop/malt balance is a bit higher in tasting than in smelling. Likewise, this beer is more bitter than the aroma suggests, and at least as bitter as an average beer of this style.

O: not sure, but i think this is a single hop brew. Perhaps not quite up to Founders IPA of the same name (from memory), but that is a high standard and this IPA is still easily recommended.