Trigger Finger
Artifex Brewing Company

Pint glass here at the tasting room in San Clemente. This one is decent for the style and does everything fairly well but nothing really exceptional. For a west coast IPA there are better more memorable examples of the style.

 

 

 

 

Great representation of the west coast style

 

Good but just didn’t standout to me as anything special. Great citrus aromas on the nose and a nice, balanced flavor and plenty hoppy but kind of medium mouthfeel with a not-so-dry not tasty finish.

No major complaints just paid too much for this beer in my opinion. I’m excited to try their other offerings.

I find this beer kind of blah. Like Ralph Nadar during the 2000 elections, I’m not feeling this one. Well, to call this the Ralph Nadar of beers is pretty harsh, but it’s simply not a fav of mine. Prob is that we are spoiled out here in SoCal; hotties over here, good breweries over there... So we are constantly bombarded with that good stuff. And perfect 10 model this beer is not. Think of like a 7 from San Clemente - which obviously isn’t bad, but Raul is just used to better.

 

my first artifex beer, ordered on a strong recommendation from a trusted friend. its nice stuff, a cool mix of west coast oily and east coast dry hoppy without being too hazy or bitter or anything, which makes it bicoastal and drinkable, and also a fine companion to some spicier and heavier mexican cuisine! just a little haze to it, an aroma of juicy pineapple and spicy pine or juniper, a cool mix of hops for sure, a little old school meets new school, and a best of both worlds sort of situation. lemon and white wine grape, alpha acid and lupulin too, some cool essential oiliness, a little rich feeling but more from hops than from grain, which stays well out of the way here. flavorless ale yeast, clean fermentation, a little wheat in the mix maybe, tropical fruitiness and a quicker finish for all the dry hops, its summery and well made, not that different, but definitely encouraging from a quality standpoint. id be more than happy putting these away on the beach all afternoon right from the can...

 

 

 

 

Poured from a crowler filled and sealed April 2nd.

Appearance - Pours slightly hazy and golden orange in color with a white, finger width head. Good retention before peeling back to a thin, broken layer of suds and a thin ring around the edge of the glass. Good lacing, with broken sheeting and spotting.

Smell - Orange aroma. Faint tropical notes. Mild breadiness.

Taste - Follows the nose. Lots of orange character upfront and throughout; candied orange sweetness. Bready malts with a hint caramel. A touch of earth and stonefruit pit nuttiness creep in mid-taste. Light orange pith bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation. Soft, almost silky texture with a fairly dry finish.

Overall - It's not the cleanest IPA, but it's pretty tasty. Loving the strong orange punch.