Zigzag
Bearded Iris Brewing

3.66/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Can at share. Pale golden body, non existent head. Flat and dull pour. Mild fruity aroma, mango. Slick mouth feel. Taste us fruity, a bit of a sting on the palate. Nice finish, sticky.

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4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Not sure about the "piney", "kushy" or "kind", but words like fruity, floral and fortified sure come to mind with the Imperial IPA of Bearded Iris that boasts some of the most legendary hops on the market. Simcoe, Chinook, Centennial, Columbus,
and Warrior sure make an old school mark on a new age taste.

Heavy handed on haze but shy of the soupy visual texture of many Bearded Irish hoppy beer, the golden ale glows underneath a rock steady creamy white froth. Sharp citrus, grassy, herbal and woodsy aromas pistol whip the olfactory senses while the tongue is caressed with the sweet maltiness of honey, caramel and spongecake.

But once the balance of malt lifts off of the tongue, the middle palate brings a hop-forward brunt that keeps the taste of white grapefruit, orange peel, lemon, juniper and light pineapple seeming juicy and vibrantly ripe. Growing bitterness trends peppery with the bitter pang of pine sap, citrus rind, fresh grassiness and a stemmy hint of tea and herb to command a long lasting hop focus.

Medium bodied but the beer's modest malt linger and elevated spiciness suggests a stronger, sipping affair. A peppery warmth tucks nicely behind the bitterness as the ale trends long and lean, allowing only the bitterness to stick to the throat and resonate soundly into the next refreshing and highly drinkable sip. Ok, the "pine" is pretty obvious too.

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4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Great beer! Not boozy at all... Loads of clean juicy hop flavors and aromas.... These guys do an incredible job with IPAs.... Incredibly clean with a super bitter aspect...

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4.74/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Deep in color, like apple cider. The nose is HEAVY with hops as is the taste. This is an awesome beer. I love the slight grapefruit flavor that is followed by sweetness that diminishes fairly quickly under the weight of the hops.

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3.69/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip- a not-quite-clear golden color with a white head which has moderate retention. Pine, resin, and grapefruit on the nose, in addition to some booziness. The taste follows, thankfully without the booziness and with some citrus added, but as a whole the taste is underwhelming- it's not as intense as expected. Moderately bitter. The pillowy mouthfeel I've come to expect from BI is muted, but still present.

Overall, an alright west coast IPA. Not sure where the line for imperial IPA vs standard IPA is drawn, but this certainly doesn't taste like an imperial one. I can think of a few local breweries who have been putting out better west coast IPAs, especially better imperial IPAs, than this. Not BI's best brew.

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4.12/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Moderately hazy golden amber color with a thick white head. Strong retention and lacing. Medium-strenght piney and earthy aromas with a hint of orange. The taste was resiny with pine and some floral notes. Moderately bitter with a candy-like sensation on the finsh. Dry bready malt that balanced well and hid the ABV. A fairly soft feel and dry, clean finish.

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