Mint IPA
No Label Brewing Company

 

A great beer to share, but a whole pint....na. Not a person that likes mint in my beer. To me this is the same premise as rating a beer while chewing gum. Your palate is kind of all over the place

 

BOTTLE: 12 fl oz. Brown glass. Simple yet elegant green label art & design. Branded silver pry-off pressure cap.

IBU: 125. OG: 1.071. Reviewed live as a mint IPA per the name and label. Served cold into a pilsner glass at low altitude in Austin, TX (where it was also purchased).

Expectations are fairly low given the brewery and this beer's premise.

No bubble show forms as it's poured.

HEAD: 3 fingers wide. Off-white/pale khaki colour head. Has a smooth even consistency with a full presentation and creamy soft appearance. Retention is pretty good for the high ABV - about 7 minutes. Leaves a light coating of webby lacing on the sides of the glass as it recedes.

BODY: Clear translucent vibrant copper. Abundant fine yeast particulate is visible suspended in the body.

Overall, it's a lively appearance for an IPA, and I dig its unfiltered look. But it's not a special or stand-out appearance in its style.

AROMA: Herbs dominate, with spearmint and juniper berries ringing most distinct. The gin-like juniper is quite off-putting, and while the cool spearmint does have its appeal, it doesn't really work alongside the sweet caramalt undertones. That said, I always like it when a beer evokes the note it promises to - I need pumpkin in my pumpkin ales, coffee in my coffee stouts, and mint in my mint IPAs, and this brings it. But the actual hop aromatics are minimal - which is a dire problem in an IPA - and the herbal mint eclipses.

Aromatic intensity is moderate to high; that mint is quite fragrant.

No yeast character, overt booze, or off-notes are detectable.

TASTE: It definitely brings the mint, with mint leaves and spearmint immediately coming through - though some drinkers will find the vague toothpaste vibe of this beer off-putting. Hop profile is herbal - which complements the mint nicely - but boy is it boring. Where's the citrus and pine promised in the description on the label? I do get some faint spiciness, but the loudness of the mint makes it hard to focus on the hops - which is a problem in an IPA. The caramalt and cream backbone works surprisingly well, though this does seem a bit imbalanced towards sweetness; in fairness, though, I think that's more from the lack of hop bitterness than from the prominence of the malty sweetness.

It's not a complex or intricate IPA build by any means, but the mint does help this flavour profile stand out when compared to the run-of-the-mill generic citrus builds of forgettable IPAs that tend to sit on shelves. It's an overt, plain brew, but I love that it commits to the mint. Luckily the juniper berry I found in the aroma is largely absent here. Depth, duration, and intensity of flavour are average. I do wish this were better balanced.

TEXTURE: Smooth, wet, coating, cool, fairly refreshing, and medium-bodied, with moderate thickness and something of a sharp overcarbonation. It's never syrupy or anything, but could definitely use improvement. More of an oily resinous sticky feel would do it wonders. As-is, it's a decent complement to the taste, but fails to elevate the beer. Overall presence on the palate is okay.

OVERALL: It's easily on the high side of average in its style, and as good as the mint is, it would work so much better in a porter or a darker ale. The hop profile is lacking in this beer, which is a problem when the style is meant to be a hop showcase. I like the integration of mint, but the fundamentals just aren't here. It's a drinkable brew, hides its ABV well, and isn't the gimmick beer it could be, but the discerning drinker will be left unimpressed. I wouldn't buy this again, and continue to be underwhelmed by No Label.

High C

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am finally trying this beer. Being from Houston, a fan of Karbach and a fan of IPAs; I still have been hesitant about it with "mint" in the name. While not the greatest IPA, I was expecting worse and am pleasantly surprised. Pours cloudy, dark amber color with a finger width foamy head. Head retention is good. Lacing is moderate. Slightly citric, piney aroma up front that is quickly overpowered by a strong mint aroma. The taste seems to follow suit. The mintiness is strong at the end, leaving a minty, bitter aftertaste. Slightly soapy. While the mint is a bit overpowering, it does seem to compliment the hoppiness of the beer. It is very hoppy. Would drink again, but would probably not buy a 6 pack to keep on hand.