Onsight IPA #14
Battery Steele Brewing

A: Pours a hazy golden yellow color with 2 fingers of head that fades down to a decent cap that leaves good lacing

S: A mix of tropical and stone fruit up front along with some lighter citrus, pine, and floral notes

T: Follows the nose. Starts off with the tropical and stone fruit and then picks up some floral and citrus notes. Very light bitterness. Finishes with lingering stone fruit and citrus

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth

O: A solid IPA that is a bit dense From the oats but still easy to drink. Well balanced while remaining fairly hop-loaded. Worth checking out

Always cool to see some of Battery Steele's experimental hop combo beers in stock at my local places. I just recently went to BS for the first time since their opening at Industrial Way in Portland, and I was happy with the selection and atmosphere of their low-key beer garden. I've enjoyed a couple of the Onsights before, and this one seems great too. It's a 7% NEIPA with Motueka and Simcoe. Kind of a marriage of a lighter, more specific new-school varietal and an older West Coast US varietal I've been growing more appreciative of recently. I've seen Simcoe in a ton of recipes with newer hops recently, and I've been consistently impressed how well it gels with the new world of fancy, bred hops.

This pours quite nicely; a very hazy, nearly-opaque orange-golden color with some density to it. A hefty head measures about three fingers upon first pour, though it quickly settles to a half-finger of rough suds that leave behind high-quality legs and a sheet of consistent lace. Can't find anything really wrong with how this pours, that's for sure.

The nose is heavily grain-forward with a big helping of oatmeal and wheat starting off the proceedings, though it's quickly backed up by pungent citrus, pine resin, and tropical fruit-like undertones that phase in and out. Tangelo and passion fruit combine with some guava, lime, and dankness mixed in there. I'm liking that it seems to be really appropriately dry-hopped; it's not over-the-top, but the balance here seems to be key. Some of BS's stuff jumps out of the glass, but this seems to be a bit more of a slow burn, and I appreciate that.

Wow, this is way more intense and complex than the nose led me to believe. I mean, the aroma here was no slouch, for sure, but what's on order here feels like the work of at least three different hops. I get tangerine, guava, gooseberry, and lime right upfront with some backing notes of passion fruit, sticky resin, grapefruit/pomelo, and strawberry. Maybe even the smallest hint of melon as well? Like I said, a ton going on, and it all seems to respectfully vie for space on the palate. Some sips I pick up more of the bright, juicy berry notes with light tartness, some I seem to pick up more drying kaffir lime, and I swear some just feel like grassy melon with a dense oat backdrop. It's fun and exciting. That said, the feel is a little heavy and the carbonation is lower than I want it to be, so I would have trouble drinking more than one in a sitting, especially considering how exhaustive the flavor profile can be. Definitely recommended, though. A fun and experimental IPA that still has character!