Backyard Bonfire Smoked IPA
O'Connor Brewing Co.

 

 

A: A medium amber in color with a very large white head.

S: Juicy citrus aroma with a huge hit of tropical fruit the finish is a long lingering smoke aroma.

T: Tropical and juicy with campfire rounding out the finish... a sweet almost cherry smoke that is enjoyable, but does seem to be a bit at ends with the hops profile.

M: Medium bodied with fairly high carbonation.

O: Overall interesting, but the flavors just don't meld.

 

12oz brown bottle, sample from the brewery.

A great looking brew, love the lacing it drops on the glass. Mellow smokiness in the nose, fruity with some grassy undertones. Big on smoothness, much more smokiness on the palate than in the nose but nothing over the top. Sturdy malt backbone stands up to the ample hop character that throws some bitterness and most certainly a lot of flavor at my tastebuds. Kiss of warmth, lingering hoppiness and smoke surprisingly go well together. With each sip this one grows on me, easily one of the most interesting smoked beers I have run into in a good while.

 

From the bottle, it pours a hazy amber with a nice head that lasts a bit. Lots of smoke in the nose, along with some hops. Definite taste of smoke in the mouth as well, along with the IPA hoppy bite. Interesting variation on an IPA!

 

 

I really enjoyed this one!!!!! Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Very light, bright. clear copper color with a medium size white head. Good head retention and thick rings of frothy lacing on the glass. Aroma is great. Smoky malt and fragrant floral hops. Taste is very good too. The smokiness is done just right, cuts a little of the hops bitterness but not enough to be a problem. Floral hops and smokiness in the taste, just like the aroma. The smokiness is unusual in an IPA but it works very well. Mouthfeel is crisp with a rich smokiness. No real alcohol presence. Nice twist on an IPA.

 

A: Gold hue, but cloudy with small chunks of sediment throughout (is this how it's supposed to look, or did I get the dregs?) The half finger of head lasts pretty well and leaves a trace of lacing, but less than a typical IPA.

S: Smells like an IPA, with a lot of citrus and a little evergreen notes; smoke is there, but not much.

T: Like the aroma, the taste is primarily that of an American IPA, with a small amount of malt losing out to a large amount of hops, both tangy and bitter. Smoke flavour? It's there, but just as an afterthought.

M:: Moist, refreshing, but a little light on the carbonation for the style.

O: A good IPA, maybe their best. But they really failed to deliver on the promise of smoke. I'm not asking for a rauchbier, but O'Connor, if you're reading this: Please at least least make a smoked beer worthy of the title.

A smoked IPA kind of scares me but this one worked. Smoke was definitely present but did not overpower the citrus, grapefruit and pine of the hops. Decent balance, average head and lacing

 

 

Poured from a bomber into a shaker pint, the beer is a bright, crystal clear, golden coloring with a flurry of carbonation bubbling throughout the body, and a foamy, bubbly, clingy, off-white head. Aromas of campfire smoke first and foremost, with a solid resinous bitter hops character, solid citrus fruit notes of grapefruit and lemon zest, and earthy notes. The smoke is an overtone, but still allows the IPA characteristics to shine through a bit. Flavors are a bit more IPA leaning, with the smoky notes becoming an accent throughout. Notes of grapefruit, lemon zest, and candi sugar, all with a piney, resinous, dank hops profile. The smoky campfire blend then begins to build again into the aftertaste, with the citrus sweet and bitter hops blend still kicking around a bit, too. The body is smooth and dry, straight through to the slow, dry, lingering finish with a solid smoke characteristic still hanging around the palate.

22 oz bottle poured in a stemmed glass. Strong smoked malt flavor, with a nice bitter hoppy finish. I was hoping for just a bit more smokiness.

 

 

From the label: ABV: 7% (saw it was missing from the BA page) IBU's: 65

Appearance: It has a light colored amber body with a good thick white fluffy head. The body is a bit hazy but not murky.

Aroma: I get this catty hop aroma right off the bat, with a bit of an onion and bandaid smell.

Taste: Right up front I get a woody flavor and it is followed by a strong pith flavor.

Mouthfeel: It has a very healthy bitterness. The mouthfeel is just dry enough and it feels just like what you would want out of an IPA.

Overall: It really wasn't something I enjoyed too much. The aroma just didn't sit with me (bandaid in particular) and the flavor seemed a bit off as well. I did pick up a wood character to the beer but it didn't come across with a smoke flavor like you'd find in a Rouchbier. The hop presence did seem fresh to me which is nice. I didn't enjoy this beer enough to buy it again.