Sprucifer India Pale Ale
Three Heads Brewing

On tap at Flaherty’s Three Flags Inn in Macedon, NY.

This one pours a clear golden orange color, with a small head, and not much lacing.

This smells like spruce and piney hops.

The taste on this is much, much blander than the aroma would suggest – I get very little fresh sprucey bitterness. There’s no real malt character, which is nice, but the hop character is so bland and beginner-level.

This is light bodied, reasonably drinkable, but not an entirely enjoyable drink.

I sometimes give 3HB another chance every so often, I don’t really know why I do.

Hazy pale yellow with a 1" white head, which lasts. Moderate lacing. A few suspended particles.

Aroma is suprisingly muted. Pineapple, faint pine.

Taste is orange, pineapple, slight pine.

Medium body, light carbonation. Dry finish.

At almost 9 months past the can date, it's a bit old. Still a good IPA.

Sprucifer from Three Heads Brewing. Received two cans in a trade with @Peach63. Stored at 37 degrees at home. Reviewed 28/08/22. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
On bottom of can “CANNED ON DEC/02/2021”. Served at 44.6 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King Snifter. Final temperature 53.2 degrees.
Appearance – 3.5.
First pour – Pale Straw (SRM 2), opaque.
Body – Pale Straw (SRM 2), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, same.
Head – Large (Maximum six cm, aggressive center pour), white, high density, good retention although it does open, receding to a jagged five to twelve mm crown and a rocky cap. As the head recedes, a band of lacing marking the top of the head remains, with chunks of lacing hanging on the glass between the crown and the top band.
Lacing – Fair. Islands and broken bands of tiny to small bubbles. See also above.
Aroma – 4.5 – Conifers, clean and strong. No malt, no hops, no yeast.
Flavor – 4.25 – Begins lightly bitter and resinous, like chewing a few needles. No malt, no yeast. No ethanol (6 % ABV as marked on label) aroma or taste. No gastric warming. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Ends with a slight burst of bitterness.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium, smooth, lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4 I was slightly concerned about the potential flavor drop for a nine-month-old IPA, but I should not have. The terpenes from spruce seem to hold up better than those from hops, at least to my tasting apparatus, and have a delightful aroma. And I found the label art amusingly apropos. I enjoyed this brew immensely and think I’ll have another. Thanks Danny!

 

 

A thanks to the reigning champion of the canquest, woodychandler, for this beer. Poured from a 16 oz. can. Has a hazy golden color with a 1 inch head. Smell is mild, some spruce. Taste is of pine, light spruce, mild bitterness. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall is a decent beer.