4:59 Little IPA
Mike Hess Brewing - Miramar

 

 

A: The beer is very hazy pale yellow in color - too hazy to see if there is any visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high frothy off white head that has excellent retention properties and hardly died down.
S: Moderate aromas of orange citrus and guava are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell and starts off with fruity flavors of guavas and oranges and finishes with muted flavors of caramel hops. There is a light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer can be considered sessionable, but seems more like an APA than an IPA.

Serving type: can

 

 

On tap and enjoyed at the San Diego Zoo under the name "African Leopard IPA". I contacted the brewery for clarification on the name. Hazy and nearly opaque copper colored ale with a frothy off-white head. Served super cold so the aroma is muted, but I smell citrus and pine; as it warms those aromas are a little more pronounced. Flavor is assertive and hop forward with notes of orange, grapefruit, passion fruit, pine, light caramel, grain, and a bit of earthy & grassy hops. Full body, creamy yet resinous; punishing bitter finish with pine lingering. A nice refreshing beer to drink while visiting the zoo.

 

 

 

 

 

Hard for me to rate this beer because of the following.
A) I don't think it really tastes like an IPA (at least not like a west coast IPA)
B) When drinking by itself, it has a bit of bitter / german feel to me. Not that this is bad, but it just isn't what I look for in an IPA.
C) It pairs EXCELLENTLY with spicy Thai food. WInner winner winner!

I am only 2 beers into my six-pack, and the first one I had by itself, and then with some snacks that were not spicy. It tasted bitter without much hoppiness to back it up. It wasn't bad, but it just wasn't my style of beer. However, I had my second one with some spicy Thai food that we brought home...... wow, it paired phenomenally well with that; for the foreseeable future, this will be my go-to beer to pair with Thai food.

 

12oz can, tulip, canned 1/4/18.

This little guy is a crisp yellow and topped with a small white head.

Citrus, guava, pine, and some biscuit in the background.

This is a juicier little IPA than it looks. A burst of grapefruit and lemon start, then dissolve to pine. The bitterness is light but significant. Lemon citrus lingers.

The body is crisp, light, and full of perfect little bubbles that just keep the flavor going.

I'm a fan of session beer and this hits the mark. It has the flavor of a seven plus percent IPA.