Little Sister
Everybody's Brewing

I am just CANtinuing to winnow through the backlog here at Chez Woody as I spend time on quarantine & isolation. The CANQuest (tm) has gotten quite a shot in the arm as a result of all of this time spent drinking beer!

From the CAN: "Drink Everybody's Beer"; "Little Sister India Style Session Ale"; "ISA".

A previous reviewer remarked on a low average score, attributing it to BeerAdvocate big beer bias. That may be the case, but for me, it is that these beers are a weak example of a strong style. Session AIPAs should have their own style, IMHO, but until then, I am going to calls 'em as I sees 'em. Sorry.

As I Crack!ed open the vent, the Little Sister gave me a fingertip spritz! 8=O It wasn't really her fault, though, since it was a brimful craft CAN with nowhere for the tongue to go upon entry. I asked if she wanted a soft, gentle C-Line Glug or a hard, aggro one & when she replied in the latter, we were off & running. She foamed beautifully to form two-plus fingers of foamy, soapy, rocky, bone-white head with modest retention. NOW, she decided to be modest! Too late, kid. Color was an oh-so-slightly-hazy Yellow-Gold (SRM = 4 - 5). Nose had a pleasant grapefruit bitterness, but I remained wary as I prepared for a taste. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste, while grapefruit-y & slightly bitter, was just lacking in Ooomph! She had clearly emphasized her nose while leaving a lacking taste. 8=( Finish was semi-dry to dry, but I just felt unfulfilled by the exbeerience. Sorry, Little Sister. You shoulda did what you big sister done! YMMV.

Had this camping up in Oregon with elrogish, August 2015. We liked it. Surprised to see its rating relatively lower here, but this is BA, session strength beers not welcome I guess.

Pours a light straw yellow color with mild haziness and a 1/2" white head. Aroma of bittering hops and a light malt sweetness. Hits those grassy grapefruit like notes.

Taste continues to push the grapefruit grassiness, but the Chinook hop stands out better than it did in the aroma, giving a hit of pine alongside all that grapefruit. Prickly carbonation and ultra lite body make this a nice session banger. Its crisp, well carbonated, but has a nice bitter unsweetened citrus rind hit to it, thereby contributing to the already desert like dryness of the beer. Despite being real dry, you just keep crushing the liquid. Its a great summertime camping beer. Not ready to jump into bigger beers, crack this is the early afternoon. Had too many big beers? Crack this, cleanse the palate, get your center back. Old school grapefruit and pine in a high carbonated light bodied container. Definitely has its place in the great outdoors.

 

Thanks to Stardusthotel83 for this, which arrived last week as an extra. 12 oz. can.

The pour is light, straw yellow with a ton of head. Smells like lemons & grass.

Little Sister tastes like it smells; gander that. Lemon, grass, sunshine, puppy dogs. Bitterness is on the low side of moderate. Finishes with mild sweetness, hay, & vanishing citrus. Light, refreshing, & super easy to drink.

Brewers take note. In a world full of weak, watery, crappy-ass session IPAs, this one stands out. Good, solid beer.

 

A thanks to the captain of the canquest, woodychandler, for this beer. Has a hazy, golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is dominated by grapefruit. Taste is grapefruit, but less pronounced than the aroma. Some grassiness, mild bitterness. Feels medium/light bodied in the mouth and overall is a solid beer.

On tap at the brewpub in White Salmon.
A session IPA with notably strong and pleasant aroma, and excellent lacing: the head leaves sheets of sticky lacing on the glass Pale golden body is slightly hazy. the light body seems too thin even for style.

 

 

12 oz. can from Philadelphia Beer Week. No date on can. Poured into Carton Dubviant glass.

L: 3F+ foamy head, little retention, almost no lacing. Little ring. Beer is a light, hazy copper.

S: Citrus-forward, like pink grapefruit and lime peels, and pine. Cracker malt.

T: Light citrus as in nose, some pine and dankness. Cracker malt.

F: Light body, light to medium carbonation. Not as crisp or clean as you would want a session ale.

O: Think this might be fading or past prime. No date on can, but I've been there/done that. Without another to compare, hard to say for sure.

Clear pale gold with two fingers of white head that drops to a thin coating in about five minutes. Some lacing.
Smell is pungent floral and resinous hops. Some mild pale malts.
Taste is orange lemon citrus hops with a touch of the pine. A bit of grapefruit comes along later. Just enough malt to make the style.
Mouthfeel is light plus and carbonation is good. Finish is dry and lightly bitter.
Overall a light bodied refreshing beer that offers bit more hops than average for an "India Session Ale". Easy drinking.

 

An inviting flowery aroma with a whiff of pine. Crisp and sharply carbonated. Amber color with a brief foam in the chalice. There is a woody taste that seems distracting at first.

Moderate bitterness, which is more than enough with the light body. Some club soda taste to start, but the touch of malt emerges with a sweet biscuity taste. That slightly fruity, slightly sweet flavor saves this from being another sharp and herbal light IPA. From the 12 oz bottle purchased at Elizabeth Station in Bellingham.

Another can from beertunes. Thanks!
Great can.
Soft hop aroma. A bit grassy overall.
Big off white head. Cloudy yellow.
Certainly bitter, but not too much. Grassy hop flavor and a watery pale malt foundation. A touch of sweetness up front and that moves nicely into hop flavors which eventually goes to the long finishing bitterness. Sometimes I like the taste of this bitterness, other times less so.
Light body, as to be expected. Fully carbonated.
Solid for session IPA

 

 

 

 

Pours a finger of head on a light straw body.
The aroma is grain, lemon, grapefruit and floral.
The taste is bold bitter grapefruit with a long dry bitter finish. Good profile.
The texture is crisp.
Great flavors and aroma.

Light honey gold beer with a cream-colored head and good retention. Smells of grass, citrus, and lightly sweet malts. Tastes grassy & grainy, with light citrus notes and some biscuit. Fals slightly to the bitter side, and citrus rind hops stick with the tongue after drinking. Okay components, doesn't come together that well. I thought it was unremarkable.