Hop Audit - Indiana Harvest
Taxman Brewing Co.

Taster at brewery. Light amber pour, skin of off-white head. Aroma is smoky, woody. Taste is earthy, dry, smoky, woody, green. Bitter bite at the finish.

This is another entry for New @jkblr Sunday, MKII, or CANtinued (Week 717) since I did not have a ChANce to run through all of the beers that were sent to me on my initial foray.

From the CAN: "farmhouse india pale ale"; "Hop Audit explores the endless combinations of boutique hops and Belgian yeast. This release showcases local, fresh hops from our friends at Indy High Bines, complemented by a soft, malty body from barley and wheat from Indiana's own Sugar Creek Malt. A touch of wildflower honey from Hunter's Honey Farm completes this truly local farmhouse IPA."; "Belgian Inspired American Crafted"; "60 IBU"; "Thank you to our local partners: Indy High Bines[,] Sugar Creek Malt Co.[&] Hunter's Honey Farm Since 1910[.]"

This was the last of the lot so I saved the IPA for the finish, but I don't believe that I am finished with Taxman. We shall see.

As always, it began with a Crack! & Glug to get things started. Nothing untoward happened on the Crack!, so I went with a moderately heavy-handed Glug in response to my growing fatigue. Man, it seemed like the adjuncts had created a bit of sludgy lees, but it was too late to turn back. It puffed up to form two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, light-tan head with great retention, leaving loads of lacing in its wake. Color was a cloudy Amber (SRM = > 7, < 9). Nose was amazing! Rising bread dough, drizzled honey, wet hops that smelled like mint & grass. 8=O Mmm. Indiana-grown hops?!? It was a revelation! Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite creamy, but a) on the approach & b) big for the style. The taste was less interesting than its nose had led me to expect. It was definitely honey-like in terms of an immediate sweetness, but the hops seemed to be relegated to the background. It had a pronounced honey & doughy breadiness, but the hops lacked Ooomph! That is not to suggest that it tasted bad, but I was expecting more, especially given its name & label, Mabel. Finish was semi-dry to dry & I would be very curious to try others in this series.

The original Hop Audit is one of my favorite Taxman beers and this is quite a departure, but not necessarily in a bad way. Moderate amount of head with a bit of lingering lacing. The aroma is where things start to really stray from the original. A little bit of funk mixing with what I can only describe as a bit of a jam and cracker smell. Taste isn't really like any IPA or even Belgian IPA I've had. You can taste the honey along with some farmhouse notes but no real hop bitterness. If this beer wasn't labeled I'd guess it might be a saison. Interesting beer, not unpleasant, but perhaps not really following traditional IPA/Belgian IPA lineages.

12oz canned 9/27/18 (17 days ago) poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at fridge temp 7% ABV 60 IBU. The beer pours hazy, nearly opaque, in a "dirty blonde" amber. The head is off white and recedes to a cap and leaves some lacing. The aroma is a blend of honey, grassy hops, wheat and farmhouse yeast that is not altogether inviting. The taste is semisweet wheat and honey with some strong grassy & floral hop bitterness holding the line against excessive sweetness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with less than medium carbonation and a semi dry finish. Overall, very good and better as it warms. Belgian IPAs are tricky. This one comes out alright and does a nice job of tying in the harvest theme with all of the local ingredients.

 

Looks good, with light body, clear golden color, and lots of lacing. Nose is quiet, hint of grain and minerality. The taste has more grain than anything else. A bit of savory hints, and a slight sour close. Feel is a bit slick. Drinkable, but did not bowl me over.