The Patriot
Talisman Brewing Company

a flavorful session type ipa as they call it, but really that seems to be mostly to do with the lower abv, this drinks a little bit like an older school pale ale to me, not quite as malty rich and red colored, and not quite as bitter, but it leans that way. done with the veterans blend hops, which i am not sure what all that includes, some modern juicy fruitiness in the nose, more high alpha classic northwestern bitterness in the flavor, even a little of that spiciness on the swallow, but it works, the whole thing is real fresh, and the ferment is cleaner than it was in a lot of the other beers i had while i was in recently, technically one of the better ones i had. a rich honey to light rust orange color, average white head from the tap, gorgeous clarity and sparkle. aroma hints at peach and ripe melon in front of more familiar pine, green grape, and bitter orange. some light toast to the grain and a little balancing sweetness through the middle, nothing from the yeast at all, uncommon in other talisman beers i have had. the flavor starts with some bitter hops that run with it the whole way, tangerine and grapefruit notes, a little dank weedy oily pop in the middle, and softer fruit to finish with a little mango and apricot, a cascade type spiciness too, but subtle. everything in good balance as the grain is also a major contributor here, drier than it smells but still with a little sugar, tidy overall, clean on the swallow, and not as light as a lot of the utah hoppy stuff at this enforced low abv. i like the structure, especially this time of year. ill look for more beers with this hop blend, seems like a cool combination of punchy fruity new school stuff and piney northwestern classics.