Red Jay
Humboldt Regeneration Brewery & Farm

 

Beer is a deep rich copper color with a thin beige head. mildly opaque. The nose is backed up with lots of rich crystal malty sweetness, notes of overripe bananas and some hints of holiday spice. Taste is much more straightforward than the nose, comes across as a classic american red ipa, rich malt backbone that is complimented by grassy, floral, and earthy hop bitterness. Finishes with a note of sweet apple and mildly astringent ester. Mouthfeel is wonderful, rich and full enough to do the heavy lifting on a cold winter night but plenty delicate enough not to bog you down in the heat of summer. Overall this isn't my favorite style as it tends to be a bit maltier than I prefer. However this seems to me to be a pleasant and interesting representation of the style with it's unusual yeast flavor notes, mild haziness, and utilization of a less classic west coast hopping schedule.