Layers of Inspiration
Woods Boss Brewing Company

I got a can of this beer from my bestie from Charlotte, NC whom got it from a beer of the month club mixed pack. It poured a hazy orangish with thin white head that is leaving a spotty lace. The scent had sublt citrus notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with bright malt base with slighly bitter citrus and mango presence that finishes bitter. The mouthfeel was lighter in body and had good carbonation. Overall it is a great beer.

$16.49 USD plus tax per 4-pack of 16 fl oz pull-tab cans at a beer store in Colorado.

Hazy IPA. 7.9% ABV. "brewed with Belma, Barbe Rouge, Motueka, Citra, and Centennial hops."

BODY: Glowing orange. Turbid. Nontransparent. Translucent. I see no yeast/lees within, but it looks unfiltered.

HEAD: None. Just a weak off-white ring of lacing ~1cm above the top of the body.

Looks a bit undercarbonated, perhaps, given its complete lack of head. Not an eyecatcher of a beer, but I'm optimistic going in.

AROMA: Orange, pulp, pine, resin, strawberry, tropical fruit creamsicle.

The pine from the Centennial gets buried in the mix; it definitely seems muted aromatically.

Promises an IPA with a varied hop profile but I fear it may be a hodgepodge of disharmonious varietals.

TASTE & TEXTURE: Caramalt, 2-row. A bit malty upfront, which helps it hide its 7.9% ABV but doesn't serve the style.

Centennial's floral and piney flavours get buried beneath less interesting tropical fruit/fruit creamsicle flavours. Strawberry, raspberry, lime, redcurrant. Citrus.

I'd prefer a bit more prominence from the Citra & Centennial hop varietals...this seems to champion its hipster hops (Belma, Barbe Rouge) but they don't make for a very interesting IPA. (The limp strawberry note they seem to be contributing would better suit a pale ale).

Smooth, wet, medium-bodied, well carbonated, unrefreshing.

OVERALL: A serviceable IPA, but not one that holds its own against the competition (even if we're limiting that to just IPAs brewed in Denver). I applaud the experimentation with lesser known hops, but this is a real dud given its pricing relative to its (lack of) quality. Fancy new hop varietals are all well and good, but this attempt at an IPA just doesn't have it where it counts.

High C / AVERAGE