Zed's On The West Coast - IPA V5
Zed's Beer / Bado Brewing

-on draft served in Zed approved specialty glass. V5 -6.0%. Brewed with Crystal, Magnum, Falconers Flight and Saaz hops.

A: A medium dark golden-orange has a fairly good clarity with a light mention of carbonation. The head is milky wheat, a good thick consistency like oatmeal, and sits atop throughout the course of the drink, even leaving a huge froth build up on the bottom of the vessel when finished. Excellent lacing ensures, a good sign of clean glassware.

S: The nose had a nice resinous citrus and spicy Saaz hop aroma. Light lemon scents and a bready malt aroma are also present. Faint herbal fruit skin rounds things out with a good awareness factor.

T: Zeds beer tends to be more European focused malt wise. Bready and toasted malts are used as the base here, giving off some light toffee and toasted warmth. The base gives a nice grainy texture while the hops give off a bit of grassy and herbal warmth. There is a fresh flowery sense here while the Saaz definitely are recognized giving off a bit of spiciness detected even beneath the heavy malt base and grassy herbal hopping. There is a definite malt sweetness to the finish here, sugary toasted grain that rings through.

M: The mouthful was creamy, medium-full, a bit of toffee maltiness giving it some fullness along with a gentle background of carbonation. Malty texture, lightly grainy around the tongues edges.

O: Overall I like how the different hops here blend with one another and still remain recognizable. Soft herbal and spicy with a hearty toasted toffee grain backing with a finishing sweetness. Very approachable, old style malting with specialty malts giving fullness. The hops are appreciable, more even toned, so don’t be expecting to be knocked off your barstool with a blast of bitterness that’s not the intent here, think European malting and softer, balanced hoppiness with earthy and spicy notes.