Ridge Hop IPA
Alaskan Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

Haven't had a brew out of Alaskan in awhile. As part of a Kroger mix a six.

Look - Yellowish with a crystal clear clarity. Finger of white head with a moderate carbonation appearance.

Smell - Melon with floral. Light pine and a touch of graprefruit.

Taste - Grapefruit with some slight lemon zest and heavy floral aspects.

Feel - Moderate and crisply bodied with a low to medium carbonation. Swallows slightly bitter and clean.

Overall - I disagree with how low this beer is rated. 7-8% is a perfect session ABV in my opinion and this thing is damn good for session drinking. Can tell it wouldn't get too sweet nor bitter as you were to divulge deeply into a hypothetical 12 pack. Try it out!

Pours a slightly hazy golden orange on tap with fluffy white head that dissipates to leave moderate lace. Aroma of stone fruit, citrus and a hint of peppery hops over a nice biscuit malt base. Taste follows, but the malt is more present as the hops are starting to die off a bit.

 

 

 

 

Purchased in a mixed, "Boundary Ridge Hop Pack" case at Costco, along with 3 other brews. It is easily the worst of the 4 selections in the case, and, in fact, is my least favorite Alaskan Brewing Company beer I've run across. (For the most part, Alaskan Brewing Company does strong work.) Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

It's billed as an "Azacca" IPA... It is no typical IPA. (Note: Alaskan's Icy Bay IPA is a fine, classic, Western IPA.) This has a bland, yellow, fairly clear color, with an average-to-thin head. It has a strong smell, which is hard to characterize, except that it's not dominated by hops. I'd say it's "earthy" and a bit yeasty. Same with the taste... It also has a sour hint. I read that Azacca is supposed to have a tropical and fruity character, but I'm failing to sense that. Overall, a weak experiment by a typically strong brewery.

 

The beer was poured from the bottle into a glass. Right off the bat I get no smells of hop or malt, which is interesting seeing as though it is an IPA. The color is a little lighter than most IPA's I've had. The smell does not increase as the beer warms up. This beer hides the 7.3% ABV very well that's about all this beer has going for it. I'm not a fan. Maybe I got a bad beer?

 

 

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, best before 10/27/2017. Pours slightly hazy medium golden/yellow color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of tangerine, peach, pear, apricot, red apple, mango, melon, lemon zest, orange peel, light pepper, pine, cracker, lightly toasted bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/pine hops and moderate pale malt notes; with solid strength. Taste of big tangerine, peach, pear, apricot, red apple, mango, melon, lemon zest, orange peel, light pepper, pine, cracker, lightly toasted bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of tangerine, peach, pear, apricot, red apple, mango, melon, lemon/orange peel, citrus rind, pepper, pine, cracker, lightly toasted bread, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/pine hops and moderate pale malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and zero lingering hop astringency after the finish. Moderate increasing dryness from bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately crisp/grainy/sticky, and slightly resinous/rindy balanced mouthfeel that is great. Slight warmth of alcohol from 7.3%. Overall this is a very good single hop IPA. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/pine hops and moderate pale malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, and easy to drink with the modestly bitter/drying finish. Nice showcase of Azacca. Not as vibrant as I was hoping for, but still a very enjoyable offering.

 

 

Initial impression:

C / AVERAGE

***
06.17.17 impression from a bottle:

White head. Yellow body.

AROMA: Tugs towards tropical fruit but also some resins. Malt profile seems surprisingly light: pilsner malts mixed in there with pale malts. Floral.

Azacca isn't well showcased.

Aromatic intensity is below average.

TASTE: Pale malt. Floral hops. Some faint tropical fruit (passionfruit and tangerine are all I can try to identify).

Hop pungency is lacking, as is depth of flavour.

Flavour duration and intensity are average

Azacca is poorly showcased.

TEXTURE: Smooth, wet, somewhat refreshing, light to medium-bodied. Overcarbonated.

OVERALL: I adore many of Alaskan's beers, but this falls short not only as an IPA but as an Azacca hopped brew, failing to deliver in terms of showcasing the hop. Drinkable and not unenjoyable, but far from terrific within the oversaturated style.

C / AVERAGE