21st Birthday IPA
Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown

Bottle dated best by June, 2017:
Beer has a light yellow golden body that is very clearer. The head was a pillowy white fluff that lasts quite well. Soapy lacing.

The nose is a slightly crackery but nicely hoppy. The hops notes are a nice combination of citrus, light herbs, and maybe a soupcon of vegetable and cattiness.

The flavor follows the nose pretty well, though there's just a little bit of sweetness from the malts that carries through the end. The bittering hops are not wrecking my palate, but are definitely a big part of the beer. The general impression is a little bit of an orange peel with a little grapefruit rind (the latter given a lightly pithy feel near the end). A nice light feel, with a little spritzy nature early in the pour. As the beer warms, the cattiness has a little say, as well (maybe a little like a regular-ABV Hop Ranch?).

A straightforward IPA that has maybe just a tad too much malty sweetness for many. The bittering notes are nice, however, and I think this would get at least another notch up if the bitterness took a little more control.

RB transfer

Draft at brewery. Bright golden with airy, bubbly head. Tart, citrusy aroma, taste too. Crisp, really crisp. Palate really tingling. Slightly dry finish, but a real wake up call for your mouth.

 

 

Poured into a nonic pint glass.
The appearance was a golden dark yellow to light pale orange color with a finger's worth of white foamy head that slid off at a moderate pace. Some light lace ran here and there.
The aroma pulled together some pine needles, spicy hop oils, semi-grassy hop tones, danky fresh scent and ended with a little bit of tropical fruit (very subtle).
The flavor was moderately sweet and pulled that dankiness in with the spicy hops a bit tighter and seemed to kick the tropical sweetness further to the back. This tropical sweetness blended with the dankiness in the aftertaste fairly nice.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation felt good. ABV felt on par. Nice little touch of hop oils soothe my tongue to create just a touch of acceptable stickiness. Nice mostly smooth to oily finish.
Overall, very nicely done AIPA well worthy of coming back to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a golden peach with a slight haze and a nice white head. Nose is earthy with pine needles and light tropical fruit. Taste a bit dank. Pine needles and pine bark along with grasses and pale malts. All of that is cut by some light fruityness, mangos and grapefruit pith. Lighter body than I expected and a bit of a watery feel on the mouth.