Techno IPA
Free Will Brewing Co.

 

Tasty East Coast IPA that pours a deep caramel/copper shade with a heavy orange marmalade nose pervading. Pine and more orange marmalade infiltrate the taste buds readily. Very malty, maybe too much so as the hops are trying to keep up and maintain balance, but just failing. In the same vein as Jai Alai with a bit more sweetness. Easy to drink and enjoy for the average hop head, just not other worldy in any category.

16oz can purchased from the fridge as a single for $3.50. No canned on date.

Look: It's essentially clear. Rich orange, light copper color. There's some small particulates in suspension, which gives it a nice, rich appearance. Tiny bubbles rapidly rising up the glass. Thick, khaki-colored head that is a bit rocky and frothy, didn't last so long.

Smell: The aromas are piney, citrusy, and floral with a bit of caramel sweetness. I get some grapefruit and sweet honey notes. It's also spicy and peppery. Some booze. Earthy pine and a subtle green bell pepper after swirling the glass.

Taste: This is pretty good. It's not earth-shattering as it reminds me of tons of other Pale Ales/IPAs I have had before (Half Acre Daisy Cutter Pale Ale, Cigar City Jai Alai IPA, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale Fresh Hop IPA, etc.). That does not take away from the fact that this beer is made very well and it is tasty. Up front, lots of orange peel notes, some grapefruit. The finish is definitely bitter - pithy and resinous along with tons of orange peel and some candied clementine or tangerine notes - and it also has a malty side to it that eventually comes through after the bitterness fades away. It basically finishes dry but I'm not sure if it has some residual sugar or what...this beer definitely has a stickiness to it. I think what I like most about this beer is its malty backbone and its use of Cascade hops.

Feel: Medium bodied, slightly chewy mouthfeel. Nicely carbonated.

Overall: This is basically a West Coast-Style IPA. So many brewers claim that their beers are East Coast-Style IPAs, but who really knows what that is? Is it like a WCIPA, but with a darker/maltier grain bill? If so, then that is what this beer is. I have had a bunch of Free Will beers, but this is only my fourth Free Will review. I'm trying to catch up for lost time. As I said above, this beer really is reminiscent of Daisy Cutter Pale Ale and Cigar City Jai Alai IPA. Daisy Cutter is 5.2% and an American Pale Ale, yet this is 7.3% and an American IPA. Jai Alai is pretty comparable as it's a 7.5% American IPA.

From website:
East Coast-style IPA
Brewed with pale and Munich malts, plus a touch of crystal - how we get that beautiful amber color. Hopped with Simcoe, Citra, Casade, and Centennial. Well rounded and balanced, complete with a full-spectrum hop profile, and a complementary malt sweetness.

Beer has a very nice bright orange juice like color and is very cloudy. It has a very tangy juiciness which is the main flavor profile of this beer. Overall above average IPA.

 

Pours with 2+ fingers of bubbly-ass winking foam. I say winking cuz its like the bubbles is winking when they burst. Or something. I may have smoked too much pot today. Don't judge me I didn't have to work or leave the house. Anyway, body is a reasonably clear copper. Head takes its time receding and leaves some decent lace. Smells decent; I kind of expected to be punched in the teeth with hops at this ABV, but this is fairly restrained. I like that, though; bodes well for its balance. And, yeah, this has it in spades. I actually taste the malt right up front which has maybe never happened in my experience with IPAs. There's also pine and bitter citrus and a fruity note too. Apricots, methinks. Lingering grapefruit bite. Nice. Medium-bodied, moderate carbonation. This isn't going to blow away the juiceheads or anything, but this is a pleasant, well-balanced pale ale worth imbibing.

 

 

 

 

 

From a 16oz can dated "Canned on" 10/7/20. Was excited to find this under three weeks old at the grocery store. It usually has several months on it and I passed on it. Had this on tap a long time ago before BA.

Pours a fairly cloudy copperish orange with about one finger of off-white head. Nice retention and lacing.

Smells of pine, oranges with a touch of floral and a bit of alcohol.

Taste is mainly dank pine with a bit of citrus in there strong bitter taste on the back end. A slight sweet taste probably from the malts.

Sticky but slightly thin mouthfeel. Strong bitter aftertaste with a touch of alcohol. Moderate carbonation.

Overall, it's a nice enough beer. Price point was nice ($12/4x16) for a hyper-local beer.

Since there isn't an abundance of head, most of a pint can fit into a clear pint glass. There's a little more lacing than expected, at least a moderate amount. Not overwhelming, the resultant smell is the standard malt/yeast/hop/alcohol combination of an AIPA. The color is a bright light copper, on the clear side. The taste is a balanced and fuller version of the smell, along with some earthiness. Another for the not great, not bad file of American India Pale Ales. P.S. Updated 12/20, this really needs a better rating. New numbers are now in, after a revist with two more pints.

 

 

 

Pours a hazed honey with a thumb+ of cream colored head. Clears a touch, must've been chill hazed; Stellar lacing & average head retention

S: Doughy, light citrus notes

T: Bready, a little pomelo & grassy hops up front. Dryness and sweet breadyness mix with grassy, woody & citrussy ( tangerine ) hops as this warms. Finishes dry, grassy & citrussy with a little woody bitterness

MF: Medium, body firm carbonation, pretty good balance, Became really creamy as it warmed

Solid IPA, could've been much fresher; over 3 months old. Would certainly like to try this fresher & wished I spotted the canned on date sooner

This is actually very good, an worthy contributor to my mix a six. I've had quite a few this drama filled, way too long week. And, at my age, closer to 60 then 50, I really don't need the fucking drama. Whatever. Drink another beer.

Very pretty color, better ice cold, smells and taste like a decent hop bill. The usual citrus and pine, smooth and satisfying. Like I've said before, I literally work 7 minutes from the brewery? And have never been there in the going on almost 3 years I've worked there. Maybe I should get there one day.