Fire IPA
Church Street Brewing Company

This was my finale during a recent trip to Church Street's tasting room. The description made this beer sound like a good one to end on since my palate was not completely blitzed at the time. This beer is hazy, and is a golden amber color with light carbonation visible. A white frothy head dissipates nice and slowly to a rocky layer with a creamy neck that is retained. 3.75/5 The aroma is sweet and hoppy with tropical fruits such as mango, papaya, and pineapple. There are other undertones of dates, wine grapes, and a light butteriness. The hops is where its at here. 4/5 The flavor is every bit as hoppy as the aroma but with a does of caramel and white bread leading the way. These quickly give way to the hop bill of pineapple, mango, papaya, and citrus rind. The bitterness is moderate to high with a significant lingering bitterness after swallowing. As the beer warms, notes of dates, raisins, and white wine grapes come out more, swallowing up the caramel and white bread. 4/5 This is a medium bodied IPA with a light carbonation burn and moderate drying, the latter of which lingers for quite some time after swallowing. 4/5 I thoroughly enjoyed this IPA due to not only its complex flavor profile but also its drinkability. This beer doesn't leave you feeling totally full after drinking it which is nice to see. It is very fresh and bright, which keeps you coming back for more. 4/5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Served from the bottle in an Ohio State shaker pint glass.

Is it Jimi or "Cassandra"? Anyway, this stuff pours a clear brass topped by a finger of off-white foam. The nose comprises grapefruit, light musty orange peel, light greens, mild toast, and a bit of caramel. The taste takes a bit of a turn, though, aiming for stark bitterness, mainly from a pine's branch, though some kale sneaks in there as well. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a drying finish. Overall, this IPA just didn't do it for me. Instead of the balanced, fruity take on the style evinced by the smell, it went with a blunt and kinda sloppy hammerblow of bitterness that just doesn't work.