IPA
Standing Stone Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

At OBF:

A - Poured orand with a 1 finger of off-white head that dissiaptes fast and left no lacing. Needs to improve retention.

S/T - Honey and heavy flowers.

M - Light bodied, hop dominated, slick, and thin.

D - A simple and standard version of an IPA. Nothing really stood out.

1/2 pint served in a small shaker at the brewery, Standing Stone's IPA is a hazy burnt gold with a wispy white head that leaves heavy lace.

Smell is strong, piny hops.

Taste is a nice big smack of resiny hops, a bit of floral sweetness with a firm malt backbone and big bitter finish. Simple but very well done, classic NW IPA.

Mouthfeel is chewy and oily,drier, with a medium body.

Drinkability is high, spot on Oregon IPA style across the board. The 6% ABV is perfectly integrated, just enough to warm your cheeks but not get you into to much trouble when you inevitably go for that 'last one!' =)

Appearance: Hazy amber with a fluffy white head; this is an unfiltered IPA.

Smell: This beer has a big fresh hop aroma, full of citrus and pine. Exactly what an IPA should smell like.

Taste/mouthfeel: Very balanced flavor for an IPA. Definitely west coast style, with a big, piney hop flavor and crisp carbonation. The caramel malt foundation is still very present, adding a greater drinkability and complexity than most IPAs. I should add that this beer tasted incredibly fresh.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, it's slightly heavier than most IPAs due to being unfiltered.

Hazy orange color threw me off a bit, then I read that it was unfiltered. Nice sticky head leaves good lacing and stays for quite some time.

Smell is malty with less hops than expected. Doughy hints and sweet malt backed by the equal hop esters make it intriuiging.

Taste is malty with less bitterness than expected. Not nearly as hoppy as most IPAs but welcome nonetheless. Goes down clean with a slight hop bite and mild astringincy.

Pretty drinkable and definately not as palate killing as the big hoppy IPAs out there.

Hopheads might shy from this IPA as it allows for a gracious measure of malt flavor to set the stage. Sure, there’s plenty of hops here in this unfiltered and densely clouded ale. But it’s not in the fashionable northwest style that establishes unequivocal hop dominance in the taste. Rather, it is sensibly balanced with a light hoppy aroma and sound bittering that still leaves room for an ample showing of dry, grainy malts.

I found the balance in this rust colored ale to be quite accommodating, making it very companionable and an easy ale to drink.

Slightly cloudy, dark golden brew forms a white head with very good retention and lacing. Aroma is of green hop oils, a warm, fruity ferment and red apples. Taste is much the same, with oily hops, firm pale malts, toast, a drying bitter alcohol, and moderate intensity herbal finishing hops. The alcohol is a bit much and gives it a dry mouthfeel with a firm body.