The Judge
DryHop Brewers

 

 

Tasted in a Spiegelau IPA glass from a 32 oz crowler on September 2, 2017. The blend of mosaic and amarillo hops gives this pale ale lots of juicy citrus aromas and flavors.

My expectations may have been a little too high for this beer. It looks good with a nice clear orangish yellow color with some nice white foam on top. Smells great with strong tropical aroma. Love mosaic hops. The taste though was disappointing. There was no depth of flavor. A very one dimensional APA that is done much better by other breweries in the Chicagoland Northwest Indiana Area. I can't help comparing it to Zombie Dust (even though it's citra) and there is no comparison. I can't imagine this beer doing well at GABF where it will be judged. Maybe the batch is off? It drinks ok but I was in no hurry to finish it. I even left an ounce or two which is very ucharacteristic of my beer drinking habits. I think the high marks may be due to some local bias since this beer probably never sees its way past the state line. By the way, the hamburgers look great at this place but if you want a better APA/IPA you may want to head over to The Corridor about a mile away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On-tap at DryHop. Served in a 5oz taster glass.

A - Generous white foam settles to a thin cap, thick collar, and splotches of lace. Hazed golden body.

S - Extremely hop-forward, with a classic mix of American hops imparting notes of grapefruit peel, citrus flesh, pine, and dank herb. I'd guess a Amarillo & Cascade combo here; classic but well-executed. Understated crackery malt backdrop.

T - The taste is quite similar. There's a neutral, restrained cracker and bready malt backdrop supporting notes of citrus peel, pine, and earthiness. Bitterness is a bit higher than I'd prefer, but it's offset a bit by a kiss of orange flesh.

M - Dry, crisp, pleasant carbonation. Medium body, with lingering hop oils and resins in the finish. No trace of alcohol, nor would I expect any at only 5.4%.

D - A well-made, classic American Pale Ale. I'll definitely be grabbing a growler of this one, as it's right up my alley for summer cookouts and watching sports. My favorite of the first batch of brews from DryHop. Apparently this has Mosaic hops, which might explain why I enjoyed it so much.