Cliff Jumper Coffee
Country Boy Brewing

 

 

With the familiar armature of IPA to firmly anchor the beer's taste, this IPA wears brand new clothes, all dressed up like a coffee ale! Where the bitter dominance from hops is expected, the ale boldly uses coffee-type bitterness to give the ale a little more of a boost- to appease all hop-heads I'm sure.

And as the accenting coffee acts upon the citrus vibrancy of hops, the ale casts impressions of roasted grapefruit and orange peels. As the initial palate acclimates to the bizarre fusion of nutty columbian blend with that of ruby reds, those tastes are propped up with light caramel underpinnings.

As the middle develops richer earthy flavor, notes of chicory and scorched earth join in as the hops turn from citrus to pine and grass. Singed pine needles and muddled herbaceous grasses light up with lemongrass and roasted pecan.

Trailing bitterness is woodish and resinous as pine and vegetative flavors wrap around coffee bitterness while the malt sweetness fades and allows complete dominance of hops and coffee. Its dry finish makes the spiced ale much more drinkable than coffee beers are usually accredited, despite both its light hop-derived astringency and the same from coffee grounds.

Taking on a slightly more bronze-stained hue than the standard Cliff Jumper, the heady beer trails with broken ivory lace- singing similar praises to the original. But one thing's for sure- the coffee additions give this IPA a complete overhaul!