Anniversary Ale 14
Cape May Brewing Company

 

It sounds like an all in Citra Hops effort. A very foamy pour emptied the entire contents of a pint can into a clear glass liter mug. The foam receded quickly, yet evenly, leaving little glass lacing. Beneath the white foam was a dull, dark apricot-amber liquid that wasn't entirely opaque. It's aroma is mild and not particularly fruity, nor sweet. Sort of a dichotomy, it's full tasting, but not complex. The vague, in this case, not a negative term, starch backbone is good for the mouthfeel, whilst adding a pleasant, not overly sweet medium to deliver the hop concoction. The taste is hoppy enough to satisfy a true IPA lover, but not so sharply bitter that it should offend beer drinkers that don't care for that in their beer. Overall, this is an interesting effort to provide a one hop IPA by offering various ways a single hop can be altered to enhance a brew's taste. Kudos for the experimental aspect of this, because, yes, this works. A traditional IPA lover may disagree, especially considering there's no barley malt counterbalance, which keeps this from being exceptional. But, with its full taste and nice mouthfeel, it's a pretty good modern American IPA.