Topaz IPA
Other Half Brewing - Center Street

 

 

I really liked this beer. Sort of like an IPA crossed with a saison. Light and hoppy, with a dry finish. Look is closer to yellow than most IPAs, smell is dank and lemony, the taste and mouthfeel are just outstanding for a first beer of the evening.

Needless to say, Other Half knows what it's doing.

Poured on draft.

Look is a hazy bright yellow with a thin head.

Aroma is very funky wet straw farmhouse with a bright lemongrass at the end.

Taste is very dry saison like with definite lemon.

Delicious quenchable beer.

 

 

On tap at Other Half 3/26/16.

 

tick tick tick tick tick! good night w imonhiatus! light and fluffy. fairly bretty. not very ipa. clean and crisp from the nrett, kind of like a crooked stave version of an ipa (cough cough how about a collaborative there?). good, but not really my bag. glad I tried it the hop isn't my thing though. the Brett saves it.

-in a tulip, on tap: hazy yellow pour with very fine carbonation that disapated quickly, but is tingly and evident in the mouthfeel. There is a sharp hop-bite that marries well with the Brett C yeast. - an easy drinker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Served 39F from the 64 ounce growler. Served in a 16 ounce snifter shaped goblet glass.

Purchased at Astoria Beer and Cheese.

Color on this ale is really impressive. A very light orange, yellowish slightly cloudy, mostly translucent hue. Very attractive in the glass. Minimalist head, very clean lacing. Just all around perfection on the color and carb.

The nose is very clean and fresh and has notes of bready 2 row malt, a somewhat subdued hop (Topaz?), and a slight note of the sour brett yeast. All three of these in perfect unison. Very pleasing balanced.

I thought this would maybe have more of a hop bite, which I was hoping for, being a lulupin who is hopelessly addicted to hops. Yes I taste some slight hop bitterness, but the mouth drying brett seems to overpower the hops at least in the finish. Overall a great tasting ale, and the attenuation is very fine tuned with a dry finish, but I think that this style of beer (slightly hoppy and slightly sour) is better suited to be fermented with either a pilsner or kolsch yeast.

I would compare this Topaz IPA to Pizza Boy's Eternal Sunshine, only I liked ES better because of the hop blend and lower %ABV.

Either way a very solid effort from Other Half, as usual, and I can't wait to try and review some of their more hoppy and bitter ales in the future.