Lil Red Rocket
Rustic Leaf Brewing Company

16 ounce crowler into tulip glass, filled on 6/19/2020. Pours fairly crystal clear deep ruby red/light orange/copper color with a 1 finger dense and rocky light khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a small cap that lasts. Nice dense spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big tangerine, red grapefruit, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, mango, melon, citrus peel/rind, wood, pepper, pine, caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, nutty, light roast, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/earthy hops and dark/bready malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big tangerine, red grapefruit, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, mango, melon, citrus peel/rind, wood, pepper, pine, caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, nutty, light roast, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of tangerine, red grapefruit, lemon, peach, pineapple, apricot, mango, melon, citrus peel/rind, wood, pepper, pine, caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, nutty, light roast, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/earthy hops and dark/bready malt flavors; with an awesome malt/bitterness balance, and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready, fairly sticky, and lightly resinous/rindy mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 5.1%. Overall this is an awesome session red IPA. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/earthy hops and dark/bready malt flavors; very smooth and pretty refreshing to drink with the mellowly bitter/resin/drying finish; great soft feel. Awesome cascade showcase. Very juicy and fairly dank/earthy hops; with a nice sized dark/bready malt backbone. Mild residual sweetness with lingering resin dryness. A really enjoyable offering, and impressive style example as expected of the brewery.