Long Cut
Axle Brewing Company

 

16 ounce can into tulip glass, no can dating. Pours moderately hazy/cloudy medium orange/amber color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky off white head with awesome retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Thick soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, mango, melon, citrus peel/rind, pepper, pine, honey, toasted biscuit, light caramel, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/earthy hops and moderate bready malt notes; with solid strength. Taste of big grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, mango, melon, citrus peel/rind, pepper, pine, honey, toasted biscuit, light caramel, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, mango, melon, citrus peel/rind, pepper, pine, honey, toasted biscuit, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/earthy hops and moderate bready malt flavors; with a nice malt/bitterness balance; and minimal lingering hop astringency after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a smooth, creamy/bread, and sticky/resinous/rindy balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol for 6.2%. Overall this is a delicious IPA. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/earthy hops and moderate bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink; despite the fairly aggressive bitter/resinous/drying finish. Very dank, juicy, and earthy hop complexity; balanced bready malt backbone, with minimal residual sweetness. Feels like Columbus, Chinook, Cascade, and maybe Amarillo hops. A very enjoyable offering, and classic tasting Midwest style example.