Queen of Hops #1670 - Brut IPA
Stoudts Brewing Co.

I CAN't tell you how excited I am that Stoudt's has begun CANning! They were a long-time holdout from The CANQuest (tm), but Carol has long known of my passion & dedication to CANned beers so I'd like to take partial credit. ;=)

From the CAN: "20 IBU"; "QOH - A series centered around using innovative ingredients & techniques to produce unique interpretations of popular beer styles."; "Fermented w/our house ale yeast, this delicately dry, yet tastefully hoppy IPA is brewed w/pilsner & pale ale malts. Flaked rice & late hopping w/Citra, Amarillo & Azacca result in a pungent yet crisp flavor."

I was very excited to see what the Queen had brewed up this time, so I Crack!ed open the vent & beCAN a slow, gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. I was quite happy with the formation of two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, bone-white head with excellent retention. Color was an oh-so-slightly-hazy Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, < 7). Was it a chill haze, courtesy of my reefer? Nose had a dry, crackery lemony quality, not necessarily lemon biscotti, but with an astringency that made it seem like liquefied alum. VERY dry on the nose. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was quite lemony, quite biscuity & now I was put in mind of lemon biscotti! I often allude to Enrico's Biscotti in Pixburgh's Strip District, but it is never an invalid allusion/analogy. Whew, did this have an unabating dryness! Fully dry, which is the hallmark of the style, but I had kind of forgotten. Phew! Finish remained quite dry with a pleasant lemony biscuitiness. It was a refreshing drink, but one which left me satiated after one. I suppose that I prefer bitterness over dryness & this was just a bit much for me. Still, it was very clean and dry. YMMV.

Priceless (Containers unpriced, unitemized receipt) from the brewery, Adamstown, PA. Reviewed 4/2/19.
“Canned on 03/14/19” stamped on the bottom of the can. Stored at 42 degrees and served at 42 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 4.
Body – Gold, clear.
Head – Large (Maximum nine cm, aggressive center pour), off-white, medium density, average retention, diminishing to an irregular five to six mm ring and a partial cap.
Lacing – Good - wide band of tiny to medium bubbles, with stalactites.
First pour – Light yellow, clear.
Aroma – 3.5 – Weak floral.
Flavor – 3 – Very little flavor, just slightly hoppy and slightly bitter. No alcohol (7.9 % ABV), no dimethylsulfide, no diacetyl.
Palate – 3 – Medium, watery, soft carbonation.
Impression and interpretation – 3 – A very un-Brutish IPA. While the color is typical of Brut IPAs and the bitterness is also typical, this entry is certainly not dry or champagne-like. Overall, this is more a less sweet version of Bud Light.