El Train
Cruz Blanca Brewpub

Clear golden hue with thing white head. Aroma is of pineapple and nectarine. Taste follows the nose with a bitter pineapple core and unripe nectarine up front, middle with a hint of pale malt, and ends with some pine bitterness. Body is light to medium. Finish is dry. Overall not bad, but nothing stand out.

slightly hoppy ipa nothing special

 

Had this on tab at Cruz Blanca. I really liked this one. Big citrus aroma with a lot of orange. The taste really had a nice citrus flavor too. It had a nice crisp dry finish to it. Really nice.

Taste: citrus, orange peel, floral gentle hops, semi sweet, with crisp finish. Fresh floral citrus nose. Gold hue, semi clear, with foamy, white head and lattice of lace. Medium body. Very drinkable in hot summer.

12oz can, I read the date wrong and bought it - it's date stamped 11/12/20 18 with the 18 hidden around the bottom lip of the can, so it's kind of old. Oh well. Copper colored IPA capped with a foamy ivory head. Big earthy pine aroma with citrus and caramel. Good hop forward flavors: spicy & earthy pine resin, grapefruit & orange pith, toasty grain, and caramel. Medium body, lively carbonation, well balanced finish with pine lingering. This is a well put together old-school IPA.

maybe somewhat of a common hop profile, with citra, simcoe, and mosaic running the show as they do in so many beers out there, but also cool in that its just fresh and clean and super well made, light for what it is, an ipa for drinking, and i could do some damage on these if left to my own devices. mostly clear golden colored brew with a very active inch plus of white head on it from the tap, aroma of fresh citra above everything else, a little mango note in here as well, and just a pop of piney bitterness too. the flavor is vibrantly fresh, which is key, and there is some grain balance here up until the finish where its all the tropical fruit and pine, pineapple and mango, sweet lemon and a tea note before the bitterness picks up a little bit. a killer food ipa, in that its flavorful but not dominating on the palate, can stand up to big flavors well, but also knows when to step aside. i thought all the beer here was really thoughtful and well done, and while this was one of the more basic ones we had, it is really expertly crafted, and a standout in terms of hoppy beer in chicago, at least as far as i am concerned. crazy drinkable, real well done.

 

 

Canned 11/12/18; drank 12/16/18 @ the Yarchives.

Cloudy orange appearance.

A violent pour yielded a huge eggshell head; frothy tree-rung lace.

Corn, orange soda & dry wheat notes in the nose.

Sticky medium mouthfeel.

Orange soda & corn flavors up front; dry wheat and table sugar notes on the finish.

Old model, sticky & cloying IPA. Permanent pass.

 

 

 

 

I tried this at the brewery. It poured a clear copper with white head that left some lacing. The scent had hints of citrus and pine. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink. The mouthfeel was medium in body with good carbonation. Overall it's a solid offering.

Acquired from the source. Drank out of Transient Artisan Ales teku.

Look: Poured with a finger and a half of bone white head, light amber colored body, light cloudiness, light ring lacing, medium amount of quick down-up carbonation.

Smell: Mango, papaya, sweet orange, lemon zest, a bit of dirty herb, sweet malt.

Taste: Tropical fruit, big citrus punch, light floral notes, cereal malt.

Feel: Heavy side of light bodied, low apparent carbonation, slick, a bit of a drying finish.