The Session
Building 8 Brewing (BLDG8)

16oz can. No date. Sample from the brewery. Thanks, O'Brian!

Pours very pale with a slight straw haziness and a solid foamy head that drops to a residual lace. Aroma is soft with suggestions of floral, citrus, and pine. Light-bodied, thin, and super crispy. Fruity (but not sweet), hoppy, and bitter with a zesty citrus and pith, bitter orange, grapefruit rind, more pine, some dankness, and apple in the back. Thin oiliness on the palate. Crackery malts. Bone-dry finish with an herbal, ashy, and spicy linger.

A lot of Session IPAs come across as boring IPA wannabes, but not The Session. It's got everything you want in an IPA, but less alcohol (4.8%). Its dry, bitter profile makes it very crushable too. Probably one of the best Session IPAs that's I've had the pleasure to crush. Would crush again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

From a can purchased at the brewery, into a flare.
Simple name (the Session). Simple can, but still good looking. Not such a simple brew.
It's no secret that I like session IPAs (shouldn't we all?)...and this one is on the money.
Really.
Nice hop combination. Smelled good. Surprisingly, this is the clearest (least hazy) beer I've had in a while. Great flavor. And (if this matters to you)...superior lacing.
At 48 IBUs, a fine choice to enjoy with lunch or dinner.
I'll definitely be buying this one again. And, they're close enough to some other breweries that, it doesn't take long to make the rounds, keep your money local, and enjoy some nice beers.

 

 

Crisp, dank, light. If the session IPA had its own category this would be near the top of the list. Tried a small pour at the Microbrew event and it blew me away with its flavor and aroma so I sought out a four pack a few weeks later. Not quite as good as I remember but still excellent.

Golden/amber body with a long lasting head. Looks a lot like ginger-ale which is appropriate since, like most session IPAS, it does have the feel of hoppy-soda. The aroma is its strongest attribute - citrus, pith, pine and pakalolo. Really impressive for the ABV. Taste is orange, grapefruit, honeydew melon, pine. Crisp and light on the palate - again there's that lingering vibe of hoppy soda. Super drinkable.

 

 

Can to becher pint glass, the appearance was a ruddy burnt yellow to copper color with a slim cap of a little white foamy head. Not much lace, but seemed somewhat messy, somewhat stringy. The aroma had some pine to citrusy bitter to sweet hoppiness over top of a clean sweet malt bill. The flavor felt clean and sweet with a sturdy bitter balance roaming in nicely. Aftertaste felt good and clean, somewhat sweet. Finish was abrupt, clean and sweet. The palate was the obvious - light bodied and crushable. Carbonation felt good. ABV felt appropriate. Overall, pretty good session IPA.

 

 

 

Consumed 5/20/17

A: Pale yellow with some straw and and gold - mostly clear but some chill haze - pours with a small, fizzy, white head that fades quickly, retains a very small collar, minimal lacing

S: Some citrus, with orange and grapefruit zest, lemon - leafy and grassy hops, touch of resin - lightly tropical aromas - absolutely no hint of malts - very mild aroma overall, even for a session IPA

T: Very light, but very crisp - mildly fruity and floral orange and grapefruit - grassy and herbal, lightly resinous hops - hints of tropical fruit - no malts, impressive that this is even 4.8% - seltzer water like to an extent, finishes very dry

M: Light body, medium carbonation, crisp and dry

O: The hoppy soda

Perhaps I have been spoiled by some other low-ABV hoppy beers, but this is very much hop soda. It's not bad, but it's not great.