Trail Marker IPA
Brickyard Brewing

*archived rating*

Glass from tap at the brewery in Woodinville, Washington
Appearance: Golden, dark yellow/amber, hazy, cloudy, small head, some lacing
Aroma: Very Fragrant- hoppy
Taste: bitter but not bozzy even at 7.ABV.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, a bit fizzy
Overall: Very good beer, even got a growler of this beer.
Drank: February 27, 2016

12oz bottle

A — Pours a fairly light pale orange color, thin white head tries to form but settles to a very thin layer atop the beer.

S — Very vegetal and malty, earthy, little to no citrus, juicy, or bitter hop note, with Mosaic and Citra hops (among others), this should have a MUCH better nose.

T — Unfortunately more like the nose, very earthy and vegetal, almost like dirt, not like fresh pine. There is still no semblance of Mosaic or Citra hop goodness in here.

M — Light to medium bodied, finish lingers.

O — Underwhelming, the billed hops were enticing but failed to make an appearance, very vegetal and earthy here, would not try again.

 

22oz bomber received courtesy of beertunes. This is the first beer I’ve had from Brickyard, a brewery that is only thinly represented thus far in local bottleshops. No freshness date. According to the label, this was made with Mosaic, Citra, Cascade, Columbus and Chinook hops.

Poured a dark, hazy amber color, with a big, off-white head that was creamy, long-lived and a depositor of sheets of lace on the sides of a large Boston Lager glass. Things took on a more orangey hue when held up to light.

There was a “thick,” grapefruity and slightly peppery nose to this.

Like in the nose, this is a hop-forward beer when it comes to the taste. Citrusy hops lead the charge and dominate things clear to the fadeout, which manages to be both dank and dry. Come to think of it, that would be a great name for an IPA: Dank ‘n Dry IPA (trademark pending). It’s worth noting that except for the finish, there’s not a lot of dryness here – it’s a gloriously sticky, resiny experience. The hop character is of the bitter but fruity variety, rather than piney or peppery. Those other qualities are present, but the citrus rules the roost.

Again, the word “thick” comes to mind, this time with the mouthfeel, along with terms like resiny, oily and sticky.

Although there’s no date, I don’t think this has been sitting around for too terribly long, as it comes off as a nice big bottle of hoppiness. If you like a sticky, citrusy hop blast, this is for you. Those 5 hops are definitely present and accounted for.

 

Handsome dark orangey amber with an enthusiastic foam in the Affligem chalice. Aroma of apricot and fresh cut hay. Stinging carbonation.

Brewery says this is made with Mosaic, Citra, Cascade, Columbus, and Chinook hops. Sounds like a warlord's raid-- the Aromatics vs. the Bitters, but it's just plain delicious. Just moderately bitter with that acidic bite. Mango, fermenting passionfruit, and pineapple soda, that stuff from Hawaii. Light bodied but silky in the mouth.

Here's another nice surprise. A hugely fruity and highly drinkable IPA from another place I"ve never heard of. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at the Community Co-op in Bellingham.