Summer Grifter IPA
Sacramento Alehouse (Pyramid Breweries)

 

On-tap at the Sacramento chapter. On to the beer:

Ornag amber in color with barely a head and a little lace sticking around the glass. It's a clean nose with enough hops that doesn't stray away from the IPA style much. Clean pine and drops of caramel highlgiht the nose show. The taste...light toasted malts make way for the respectable punch of hoppiness. Piney, tea, faint grapefruit notes are provided by this hoppy ale. Light medium bodied with gentle carbonation.

Overall, this is a respectable IPA from Pyramid. In a marketplace filled with great IPA, this would be overlooked, but in a pinch, I wouldn't feel embarrased to have a Grifter.

On tap at Pyramid Sacramento, CA brewpub on 7/15/09.

A - Clear golden/amber body with sparse slow-rising carbonation and about a finger of creamy off-white head that settled into a quarter inch of retention. Very nice body clarity.

S - Piney and citrusy hop character with a tinge of spiciness and some lemon zest. Sweet caramel and toasted grains comprise the malt character. Subtle alcohol notes also emerged as the liquid warmed up.

T - Sweet caramel malt paired with citrus and pine notes as well as a hint of spices. Pretty well-balanced, although the hops tend to outweigh the malts. Finishes with a toasted grainy malt character amidst more piney and citrusy hops.

M - Medium body with a syrupy texture and some residual hop oils. Carbonation is moderate, resulting in a crisp, prickly mouthfeel. Fairly substantial dry, bitter finish that lingers on the palate for a while.

D - I enjoyed this a bit more than the Thunderhead IPA (though that was in a bottle). This is a solid, straight-up IPA.