20A IPA - NEIPA
Noble Shepherd Craft Brewery

This beer is milky straw (SRM 2-3). A big, three-inch, creamy white head gradually settles as it turns rocky. Thick patches of lace cling to the wall of a Spieglau IIPA glass.

Grapefruit is strong, with slightly lower levels of pine and pineapple. The beer is minimally fresh and fruity, and more earthy.

This one is surprisingly bitter for a NEIPA. Still there is some sweetness. The flavors are similar to the aroma, with added mango. A long, drying finish adds to the perception of bitterness. Had the brewer called this an East Coast IPA, it would have scored higher.

A soft, creamy texture and full body allows lots of carbonation. Alcohol is about as expected. There is a mild astringency.

This is a good IPA from an under-appreciated brewer. This beer is a good example of how far the industry has come in producing quality beer. I enjoyed this on the first spring-like day of the year, about six weeks late. The IPA paired nicely with the day.

On tap at Swillburger/The Playhouse in Rochester, NY.

This one pours a pretty hazy golden yellow color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells like pineapple, mango, grapefruit, pine, and biscuity malt.

There's a touch of malt on the back end that kinda works well, despite the style. It's almost biscuity, like a sugar cookie or something. There's also more classic big juicy (bro) IPA type flavors, with all the fruits mentioned above, and a crisp and clean bitterness that doesn't overwhelm.

This is light bodied, clean, and pretty soft. It's pillowy, but the lactose is definitely not overdone.

If I see Noble Shepherd locally, I tend to need to try it. I'm almost always pleased with the results.