unPHLtered
Conshohocken Brewing Company

Here's another one, an "IPA" with wheat and oats, without barley malt. Expectations are flying low as a pint can gets emptied into a clear glass liter mug. There's that anticipated ever expanding white foam, the norm for the style, occupying the top third of the vessel, despite a gentle pour. Experience tells that the mess will recede unevenly and unattractively. The brew is dull and opaque dirty blond. It smells grainy and almost fruit-like in its hoppiness. That's what the hops bring to the taste, likely more tropical than citrus fruits, although maybe there's a slight lemon reference. Now that some of the contents have been drained, the irregular and unattractive glass lacing expected appears. The oats give this a decent body, but add a little stickiness at the finish. That mildly detracts from a rather pleasant bitter, almost piney transition of the hopping. There's very little notice of the ABV. For a barley malt absent NEIPA, this isn't bad. Many in this style get too fruity or muddled, sacrificing the hop bite for texture, or just to appeal to those that don't want it. This remains true to the AIPA hop tradition.