The Ridge
Slack Tide Brewing Co.

Just learning all of this jargon but I can say it tastes really good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On draught at the brewery. It pours a murky, orange-brown color with a small, ecru-colored cap and a thin film of creamy lacing. The smell is unusual for the style insofar as its primarily sweet malt and caramel with a whiff of lemon. There is little hop presence in the nose. Similarly, the taste opens with lots of malt, caramel , and biscuit but not much fruit - just a touch of lemon peel, grapefruit, tropical fruit, and vanilla. The Vic Secret and El Dorado hops are flavorful but quite delicate and without bitterness. The best way to describe the tastes is mild. This ale has a thick, almost chewy, mouth feel with pleasant carbonation, and it's very easy to drink with its temperate 6.6% ABV. Overall, I'm surprised that Slack Tide labels The Ridge as a NE IPA. To me, it's more of an English or Southern style malty IPA. In contrast, Estuary reminds me of a NE IPA but its labelled as an American Imperial IPA. However, it's categorized, The Ridge is a tasty offering.

Two fingers of airy, soufflé like head, deep tan, plenty of hills and valleys across the surface, wispier lacing looks like clouds in the sky. Cloudily opaque copper orange colored liquid, barely lightens at the rims, no visible carbonation. The nose starts out crisply with black pepper, sourdough crust and dried grasses before opening into orange blossom, black tea and chamomile, not overly fruity, the peach, apricot, nectarine scents never turn overtly sugary nor ripe. Full-bodied, plenty dense with a persistent dryness despite a more general fluffy texture. Citrus emphasis of blood orange, tangerine and some grapefruit. Mixes in more tea leaf, tar and biscuit accents. That dryness pervades the pineapple, nectarine, guava fruit. Turns spicier near the finish. For its heavier weight offers solid drinkability.

[Labeled on the brewery tap board 6/15/18 as a New England IPA, purchased a crowler consumed same day]