Pine Tar
Mill House Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This beer focuses on the piney attributed of the hops, which is magnified by the addition of locally grown Colorado Spruce Tips. The flavor of the blue spruce gives this dark copper brew a nice earthiness to the other hops in the brew. From those hops you get a big blast of bitterness, and an immediate sensation of pine needles on the tongue along with orange pith. The nose carries sharp pine notes and grapefruit when poured, and slight mango sweetness once warmed. Quite an astringent and long-lasting finish, but pleasant when given its slight boozy character. Clean drink, dry and crisp, and refreshing. A tad straightforward in highlighting the pine notes of the hops; a minute addition of sweeter hop resins would have added to the complexity and overall dynamism in the beer's flavor. Pleasingly bitter, and nice bright 'dank'.
For comparison sake, if in the area, check out Heir Apparent over at Bacchus in New Paltz. Also a DIPA, this beer has almost no bitterness, but has rich dank, sweet, fruity hop rewards.