Arbitrary Units
Novel Strand Brewing Company

 

 

this is right on the pale ale/ipa fence, a little more the former than the latter for me, not even sure where the line really is in these mostly dry hopped lighter ones. its not as hazy as some of the others we had in here, but its not clear either, not at all. nice little thick white head on it from the tap too and some visible carbonation. aroma is real fresh and so is the flavor, i reckon i get some pils malt, wheat, and pale barley, basic but light, good. the hops are amarillo, citra, comet, and columbus, all of which can sort of be picked out here, as well as they are integrated, with a columbus grapefruity and leafy thing leading the way and the citra last, overwhelmed a bit by the others, higher alpha in nose and flavor, not overly bitter, but it kind of wants to be. good balance with the malts in it, some body but drinkable, especially compared to some of their other hoppy ones. it tastes a little muddled to me, like it could be refined an additional degree, but its a real good start for a beer like this, almost a session ipa to me, although nobody admits thats what they are anymore. summery and even refreshing. solid.

edit: i liked this a lot better the second time around, the hops seems a little more mellow and well integrated, more appropriately dosed, and the whole thing just seems more refined overall. very drinkable, tame and distinctive. cool to see the beer improving in here so quickly. raising a few scores...