Relentless Hops
New Trail Brewing Company

 

The entire contents of a pint can emptied easily into a clear glass liter mug. Its look is just about like adjunct lager, as it's lightly bright golden-amber and relatively translucent, with a faint haze. Very little off-white head was produced by the pour, even at room temperature. The only aroma characteristic is a sharp, somewhat piney hoppiness, but it's not pronounced. Its taste is bolder and it sure is hoppy, in a piney and almost resinous way. Although there's almost no malty backbone to taste, it's certainly there, as the mouthfeel carries the bite nicely. After the hop hit, the finish is clean, with only a little bitterness remaining. An epitome of what a West Coast IPA should be, sharply piney, not malty and light across the tongue without being too thin. It's devoid of glass lacing and a sustaining head, but it gets the main purpose of this style commendably.