No Guff!
Refined Fool Brewing Co.

473 mL can from the brewery; no canning date. Served slightly chilled.

Pours golden-orange, some silty sediment fogging up its complexion ever-so-slightly. Seated atop is an inch of loose, soapy white head that fades within three minutes or so, leaving behind a creamy collar and a smooth cap; a narrow band of even lace clings to the glass. The aroma is subdued, offering up hints of doughy, bready malts and a light caramel sweetness, as well as hoppier notes of grapefruit, orange peel and pine sap.

A solid west coast IPA, boasting a sturdy malt backbone and plenty of hop bitterness. Bready, doughy malts and caramelized sugars are apparent immediately, with notes of grapefruit and orange peel not long after. Finishes with citrus pith and a blast of piney, resiny hop bitterness, concluding with grapefruit and berries dissipating into a resiny aftertaste that lingers for a few seconds. Medium in body, with moderate carbonation that gives some prickliness to this pale ale's smooth mouthfeel.

Final Grade: 3.93, a B+. If you're in the mood for an old school, bitter IPA then I'd suggest you seek out and try No Guff! It's no secret that I prefer West Coast IPAs, and I'm glad that they've seen a boost in popularity (or at least availability), over the last couple of years. For a while, it looked like hazy IPAs were going to remain dominant, along with the occasional fad/gimmick style (e.g. milkshake IPAs, brut IPAs, etc.), but to my relief, I haven't needed to look too hard for a bitter, resiny IPA these days. This is a quality brew that I'll happily buy again and again all summer long, should it remain available. Cheers!