Re: Session IPA
Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling
 
Texas, United States
Style:
American IPA
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.67 | pDev: 18.53%
Reviews:
5
Ratings:
9
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 14, 2013
Added:
Aug 01, 2011
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by bros:

  None found.

 
Rated: 3.5 by greenspointexas from Texas

Dec 14, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.5 by TXhomebrewer from Texas

Dec 13, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by kjkinsey from Texas

Dec 07, 2011
 
Rated: 2 by Jenray from Texas

Nov 30, 2011
Photo of elNopalero
Reviewed by elNopalero from Michigan

3.31/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
From my notes.

Ranger creek re:session ipa on draft, poured into shaker pint glass. The finger’s worth of foam dies down with some residual lacing. It appears a light hazy straw yellow. Wasn’t expecting it to be so hazy. Could probably pass as a fizzy lager in dim light and no one would be the wiser. (Insert “muah-ha-ha” here). The hops profile comes through in the aroma with a sharp bite. This beer has character! From the first sip I realize it’s hop dominant. Makes me wish I knew my hops better so I could fathom a guess. Very grassy. More grass than floral. Not sure why but I’m wondering what this beer would be like with either more body (chewy) or greater balance. Hop dominant but not a hop bomb, if that makes sense. Lingering hoppy aftertaste that numbs the palate. As it warms I find the harsh edges to be even more pronounced. At this point I’ve had this one three times, in three different contexts and it just doesn’t click.

Will hop-heads find a ‘sessionable’ IPA appealing? Will fizzy yellow lager drinkers find something this hoppy enjoyable? Overall I like what San Antonio’s Ranger Creek is doing. I think Ranger Creek and Freetail are both making valuable contributions to San Anto’s craft beer scene and I’ll keep on supporting them--even when their experimental and one-offs don’t work for me.
Aug 24, 2011
Photo of champ103
Reviewed by champ103 from Texas

4.27/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap at Liberty Station in Houston.

A: Pours a clear golden/orange color. A two finger white head forms with good retention. Sticky lace is left down the glass.
S: Big tropical fruit aroma up front. Pineapple, lemon, orange. A lingering grapefruit aroma. Light toasted grains, but the hop bite is awesome and the main show. I love the aroma.
T: Again, tons of hops. Crisp, clean hop flavors of pineapple, lemon, and orange. Actually one of the most fruit forward beers I can remember having. Some grapefruit lingers. Wow just a great juicy hop flavor. Maybe just a bit more malty grains would make this near perfect.
M/D: A medium body and good carbonation. So crisp, clean, and dry. Smooth at the same time. Very easy to drink. I quaffed several without a thought.

This is great. Like I said before, everything is so crisp and clean. There is a huge hop flavor that is not overly bitter. The alcohol is a bit much for a "session" beer. Though still really enjoyable to drink. Again, well done Ranger Creek. Something I highly recommend.
Aug 13, 2011
Photo of fivehoursfree
Reviewed by fivehoursfree from Texas

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
A: Straw Color. Decent head (server said the lines were still warm)

S: Citrusy hop smell.

T: noticeable hop presense. Citrusy. Bitterness was a little harsh. No malt flavor, but slightly sweet. They probably don't use a regular west coast yeast strain for this.

M: Light and clean.

O: If it were me, I'd call it a "hoppy blond." It just didn't have the color, malt flavor, or mouthfeel of a top notch IPA. However, it is what they say it is; a session IPA. You could drink these all day. And for that purpose it is excellent. If RC would put this in cans, I would get it for any and every outdoor event I have.
Aug 05, 2011
Photo of 2xHops
Reviewed by 2xHops from Texas

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I had this at Flying Saucer here in Austin where it was served on-tap but funneled through fresh hops. I'm not sure what's the proper name you would call this pour?

I thought this was an interesting IPA as it is drastically different from many of the IPAs I have drank in the past. When it was first poured into a glass, it was incredibly more cloudy and murky than I thought it would be. My first impression was that it really did look like a hefeweizen. The head was hearty and right in your face.

The smell was different than most IPAs as it smelled more fruity and fresh. I imagine the hops come alive here?

The taste is also very different from what i expected. The first few sips led me to believe it was not as hoppy as most IPAs. The bitters from the hops doesn't hit you right away. It's very drinkable because of that, for people who don't usually drink IPAs.

Mouthfeel? Wow, this is different. As you swallow the beer, the hops really dries your mouth out than usual. Is it because of the freshness of the hops that the beer was drawing from? It seems to suck all of the saliva out of my mouth.

Drinkability? I don't know if this will be offered again anytime soon, but it sure is fun to drink at least once.
Aug 05, 2011
Photo of jamescain
Reviewed by jamescain from Texas

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: Light yellow with a hint or orange coloring and a haziness with a white head that faded into a thin lacing over the top of the beer.

Aroma: Dominated by citrusy, tropical, notes with a hint of earthy and slightly herbal aromas.

Taste: The light malt helps to assert the hop bitterness more aggressively then the 55 IBUs would lead you to believe. The taste is that of pine and grapefruit with a hint of citrus.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with slightly high carbonation and a dry finish with a lingering bitterness.

Overall: This is definitely a good beer for drinking on a hot summer day. The alcohol is not overwhelming and the dry finish and high carbonation make it very refreshing.
Aug 01, 2011
Re: Session IPA from Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling
Beer rating: 3.67 out of 5 with 9 ratings