Chinook Red IPA
The Grizzly Paw Brewing Company

 

 

 

Draft at Beer Revolution

 

 

 

 

Tasting notes: Rust colored, frothy beige head. Very fragrant Chinook spice on the nose. Big peach and strawberry notes. Butterscotch, pretzel, brown bread, sweet orange peel, nutmeg, walnuts. Bready but with a robust hop flavor. Mild pine resin. Fairly thick bodied. Moderate carbonation. Great nutty malt and Chinook hop showcase. Weighted towards the malts but with some Chinook spicy character shining forth and a surprising fruitiness.

650ml bottle. Not entirely sure what the difference is between this and the William's Red IPA that was available on tap earlier this year.

This beer pours a clear, medium bronzed amber hue, with one skinny finger of anemic soapy, bubbly off-white head, which leaves some sparsely strewn mitochondrial lace around the glass as things quickly sink away.

It smells of fruity caramel malt - bruised apples and pears, overripe orange peel - thin dark sugar notes, and wet leafy pine forest floor. The taste is nougaty caramel malt, biscuity toffee, gritty brown sugar, further drupe fruit bowl sweetness, a touch of earthy yeast, and weak earthy, leafy, and piney hops.

The carbonation is quite low-key, and barely noticeable as it goes about its quotidian support duties, the body a so-so middleweight, and generally smooth, all those sugary players kind of piling on any aspirant hop astringency. It finishes on the sweet side, just, as that malt displays a certain inertia, one that the hops seem smart enough to avoid.

Yup, much more of a malty red ale, than anything particularly IPA-like. Pleasant to drink, once past that acceptance point, and complex in a way that I wasn't altogether not expecting (yeah, it's a double-negative - parse it). Not among the best examples of the style, more of a gateway staple, as is per the norm for this brewery.

This beer is representative the correct direction the Grizzly Paw is taking. There is an excellent balance between caramel, hop, and earthy flavours in this beer. It is balanced, complex and incredibly satisfying. This is a winner!

Appearance - Pours a deep mahogany with a finger of creamy tan head.

Smell - caramel malts, brown sugar, earthy piney hops.

Taste - Similar to the aromas with the caramel malts, brown sugar, and the brew is rounded out with a pleasant bitterness from the earthy piney hops. There is a nice balance between the malts and hops in this one.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with light to moderate carbonation. Pleasant lingering sweetness from the caramel malts and bitterness from the earthy piney hops.

Overall - Its good to finally see this brew here in Cowtown. Grizzly Paw delivers a Red IPA that has a good balance between the sweetness of the caramel malts and earthy piney hops. Grizzly Paw continues to step up their game, which is good to see.