Nitro Blaster IPA
River House Brewpub

On tap at the brewpub served in a standard pint glass. This brew appears a clear orange color after the cascade of bubbles settles out of solution and on top of the brew. A thick creamy head of yellowish stained fluff appears like only nitro can deliver and sits atop the brew throughout the entire duration of the experience. As sips are taken, there is a thick coating of lace all over the glass.

The smell of this brew is thick, juicy hops that impart notes of citrus and pungent fruit characteristics. Minorly grapefruit-like in scent this brew is quite floral and rindy with mild accents of grass. All together, this brews aroma is sweet almost like candy when the malt finally shines through providing even more sweetness to the nose.

The taste is oily with hops imparting flavors of grass and light herbal aspect. A little fruity and floral just like the nose indicated. A backing of toasted grain is present giving this brew a solid balance. Big hop flavoring without that extreme bitterness found sometimes with this much depth of hop flavor. There is a mild green yeastiness to this brew on the backend. The aftertaste is herbal and gets more like grapefruit rinds with each sip as it warms.

This is a medium to light bodied brew. It has a light amount of carbonation that at times gets to be watery and make this brew become almost poundable. Despite it's seemingly lack of carbonation, it is smooth and creamy in body from the nitro. Quite easy drinking, this is one to enjoy if you ever find yourself able to have it.

On nitro-tap at River House on 5/7/11.

A - The long, drawn-out cascade transformed into a rich, hazy amber/orange liquid with gold tones and two fingers worth of dense, off-white foam that doused the sides of the glass with thick, spackle-like lace.

S - Floral and perfumy hop nites with a hint of butter paired with sweet caramel malt and some grainy attributes. For some reason, I jotted down lavender and talcum powder in my notes. First time for everything, I guess.

T - The hop character is actually pretty complex here, beginning with strong herbs and fresh cut grass, then seguing into a more citrusy, catbox character with a pleasant backing of sweet caramel and bready malt. Some spiciness emerges in the backend reminiscent of black pepper and mild medicinal herbs.

M - Solid medium body with a smooth, creamy mouthfeel as you would expect from a nitro pour. Oily and slick but with a semi-dry finish and moderate lingering hop bite on the palate.

D - Pleasant and flavorful nitro IPA with a very good feel on the palate and quite a bit of hop character. I enjoyed this a bit more than the standard Alpha Deuce IPA.