Ahtamatic IPA
Greenport Harbor Brewing Company

 

Had this on tap earlier this week at the Amsterdam Ale House in New York. It was one of the few beers on the menu that I had never tried before and it sounded good. While this was nowhere near as strong as I thought it would be, this was a good IPA that was easy to enjoy and still true to the style.

The pour to this was great - a nice clear almond hue, decent head, and lacing the resembled tree rings as I worked my way down the glass. Even though this was an Ale, this reminded me a lot of Brooklyn Lager because of the subdued floral taste, present but not overpowering hops, and balanced mouthfeel. Just a bit creamy here but not enough to drown out the taste and there was only a hint of pine and earthiness that would be found in so many other beers of this style. This almost felt like a Pale Ale or a Vienna Lager since that's how easy going this was.

While not a strong beer, this was potent enough that I could feel the alcohol by the time I worked my way through it. Not as memorable as more popular versions of this style but there's enough to like here and this was much more balanced and filling that I would have been led to believe. A nice beer that paired well with what I had that night!

 

I had a sixteen ounce glass of this at the Amsterdam Ale House on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Having had many of this brewery's beer since they recently came on the scene, and liking most of them, I was anxious to try the IPA. It did not disappoint. A good mix of west coast and east coast styles and generally very well balanced.

Appearance is a golden, light amber with a good amount of carbonation, very light, that stuck around for a good long while.

Aroma had a combination of citrus and pine hops with some maltiness to back it up.

Flavor was bitter on the front with a nice carmel sweetness on the back end. Very balance flavor for an IPA.

Overall, one of the better new IPA's that I've had in a while and one I'll continue to enjoy as long as it's around.

Greenport Harbor Ahtamatic, on tap at George Keeley's, UWS-NYC.

Appearance: Served in a regular pint, Ahtamatic comes with barely any head and/or retention and/or lacing. A thin rim and a tiny island of white remain on top. Color is shiny resin, like one of those amber-trapped insects you see at the Museum of Natural History (the presence of insects in amber was noticed by Pliny the Elder, by the way).

Smell: The single aspect of this brew that disappoints. Some sticky-sweet caramel, a tad of malts. Tropical juice.

Taste: A superb wave of oily, tongue-biting and lip-smacking hops. I never heard of this "Ahtanum" hop, but it sure is stunning. Bitter and dry at the end, spicy. Will make you lick your lips! Some tart citrus, pomelo rind chewed straight from the fruit that causes you to grimace like a Messerschmidt sculpture. A tad of caramel sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Great balance, with full (for the style) body, carbonation and flavor. Beautifully balanced overall.

Overall: A great IPA. Superb taste, fresh hops. Not boozy, nicely bitter. Ahtanum rules!

Had on tap at TJ Finleys, served in a pint glass, for the Greenport Kick the Keg event for the first annual Long Island Craft Beer Week.

Look: clear, amber/copper body with a thin, khaki colored, foamy head. There's not a whole lot of retention or lacing. Good looking IPA.

Smell: Oh, Ahtanum hops. How I love thee. Citrus, floral and fruity hops in the nose with no malt to speak of. Good.

Taste: the addition of Ahtanum hops to Disorient IPA really helped give that beer exactly what it needed. Citrusy hops with a whole lot of tropical fruit and the malt balances it, keeping the bitterness in check.

Feel: medium bodied, carbonated well, drinks easy and could make for a good, sessionable IPA.

Overall: pretty solid IPA. Leaps and bounds better than their normal IPA to where this should probably take that beer's place. Much cleared hop character, less bitterness and more hop flavor... can't go wrong with that. Worth a try if you see it on tap. Cheers!

A: The beer is clear amber in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin off white head that left some lacing on the surface and a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of citrus and floral hops in the nose.
T: The taste has a very good balance between the malts and hops; there’s a moderate amount of bitterness but this is not overpowering. There are some hints of caramel and malty sweetness in the flavors.
M: It feels medium-bodied and crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer is relatively easy to drink because the bitterness is not overpowering and the alcohol is well masked from the taste. It is an interesting experiment in the use of ahtanum hops.

Growler filled at Brouwerij Lane in Brooklyn, NY.

Pours clear, medium amber, quickly dissolving head, goes to nothingness, no film, no collar, only a very fine whisp of lace and no bubbles rising to the top. Some sediment with the final pour.

Swear tee/hopped nose

Solidly hopped ale, tropical fruit abounds, flavorful and clearly well crafted and quality all the way. Nice IPA

A wee bit on the low carbonation/flat side

Tasty and well worth a try.

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From the brewery's website:Our third Project Hoppiness offering brings back an old favorite, with a twist. The newest IPA in the series is essentially Disorient IPA brewed with healthy doses of Ahtanum hops. With a flavor profile somewhere between Cascade and Amarillo hops, the Ahtanum hop makes a perfect addition to the blend of… Centennial and Columbus hops we borrowed from the original recipe. Similar to Disorient IPA, Project Hoppiness: Ahtamatic IPA is defined by a bold, yet balanced hoppiness that is offset with notes of subtle malt sweetness