Life Jacket Citrus IPA
7 Seas Brewing - Tacoma Taproom & Brewery

 

Tasted in a pint glass from draft at the 7 Seas Brewery and Taproom on July 31, 2018. Loads of tangerines are mingled with blood orange and grapefruit, creating a deliciously juicy and refreshing IPA. Pale ale and pilsner malts combine for a light, golden hued beer packed with late additions of Nugget and Amarillo hops, blending into perfect harmony with the natural citrus fruits.

 

 

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a medium golden amber with a thin white head that dissipates to patches with light lacing. Aroma of light caramel and biscuit malt, citrus hops and orange citrus. Flavor is dry biscuit malt, citrus hops, orange and grapefruit juice and rind. Finishes dry with citrus rind bitterness. Medium bodied with good carbonation. A refreshing, straightforwad citrus IPA. Not much complexity here, but delivers on the promised citrus hit, although the flavor leans closer to rind than fresh fruit. The name seems to have changed (this can labelled "Life Jacket Citrus IPA", which I a better description, at nearly 5%, not really a session ale, but the citrus is spot on. These dryer malt style IPAs are not my favorite style, but this is light and refreshing and clearly a good choice for hot summer days.

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Sanderson for another IPA from a brewery that I’ve already had two good ones from; so expectations are not muted. 12 oz. can. No reviews yet? Really?

The pour is a clear light yellow. Nose is a lovely honeyed floral tea. Very nice.

Life Jacket…my kids mocked me not three weeks ago in the canoe when I called my PFD a life jacket.
This shares the weakness of so many ‘session’ IPAs in that it can’t hide the underlying water; this tastes like you could rehydrate with it after a run. Otherwise it follows the nose faithfully: light honey, slight Earl Grey (or whatever, I couldn’t tell Earl Gray from Lipton – those are both teas, right?), mild mid-palate bitterness. Certainly easy to drink, but drying, not at all like a cold glass of water. Very clean.

Brewed very true to the made-up style, this is smooth with a capital S. Pretty good beer.

 

 

 

 

Solid IPA from 7 seas. Strong aroma and descent hop presence.