Basil IPA
Next Stop Brew Co.

 

 

Beautiful amber body; clear; wispy white head; some rings of foam along the glass. Unique, spicy aroma; basil and wet grass. The taste follows along the lines of the smell; more intense basil taste; very light malt flavor; excellent hop bitterness buils up the depth. Medium body; some tingling on the palate yet also a bit glassy; medium-dry mouthfeel.

I enjoyed this beer at the N3 Taphouse in Colorado Springs. This is a fine discovery. It always is a joy to find a new and distinctive taste to an IPA (especially when it's not some new-fangled NEIPA or haze-craze offering. The beer retains classic IPA looks, definitely borders on American west coast varieties in particular, and truly stands out with its basil character. Very satisfying...

 

 

 

this was hands down my favorite beer we had in here, and from a technical standpoint, it was well above any of the others that we had in here. i like the idea of using all these unique culinary and global ingredients in their beers, but its risky business and some were definitely better than others. this one is clear golden, less malty looking than anticipated, very clear and shiny in the glass under an inch of white foam. the nose is great, smells like broad leafed dark green italian basil in the peak of summer, when you have to pluck the flowers off the plant a few times each week to keep it from going to seed, its that fresh and fragrant, super natural, doesnt smell cheap or forced to me at all, and its just as good in the flavor, coming on about midway through the drink and lasting through the finish, they have really captured the essence of the basil here. the malt base is sort of european tasting to me, with a little pils character in there and perhaps a little honey type malt, fuller bodied and a tad sweet at times, but right for the basil for sure, well paired there. the hops are the part that is lacking for me, it still has a cool botanical element from the basil, but take that away and im not sure anyone would be calling it an ipa. there is a little bitterness at the end helping it finish but neither smells nor tastes very hoppy at all. that said, im not sure i need it to, i like the basil way out in front and unimpeded by a more assertive hopping. this is cool beer, definitely the one i would go back for in here...