Swords and Sorcery
E9 Brewing Co.

another excellent and distinctive ipa from these guys, neither hazy like the new england types, nor perfectly clear, a light unfiltered look to it, a pale golden glow, an a frothy inch of creamy white head from the pink can, nice looking glass of beer, and the nose follows with a big juicy double dry hopped intensity, fruity in a unique way, new zealand bomb, so fresh too, yum! the flavors are great here, honeydew melon, green gooseberry, meyer lemon, chardonnay, and white saltwater taffy, unique and sexy, a little watermelon rind in the mix, some late grassiness too, a clean ferment, just a touch floral, which brings out some honey sweetness in the grain, and its richly flavored without being oily in the way some of the big west coast types are, and its not heavy in body either. its on the dry side, just a little alcohol peaking through as it warms, and with really upbeat carbonation. i had this in close succession with a bunch of other ipa types and it blew them all away, the combination of a unique hop profile with the objective quality at this level is special, as it often is from these guys. i loved this, and i would rank it among their best, which is saying a lot. they can really do no wrong for me. if you are a new zealand hop lover, get into this one as soon as possible, you will not be disappointed!

16oz canned 6/1 (thanks for finally can-dating, E9!) poured into a pub nonic. Pours a little darker gold than I expected with a mild haze; the nose on this one is hugely floral, earthy and pungent for sure. Pithy, malty, zesty, with notes of lemon, grapefruit and rose petals. A pretty fun IPA all-around, just a little different than others I've tried recently.

Pint can poured in to a nonic glass. No can dating.

Look- Hazy, golden straw color, large pillowy off-white head with great retention and thick lacing. moderate carbonation streaming as it sits.

Smell- Zesty lemon and lime, candied green grape and peach, a bit of melon, tropical fruit and gooseberry, light pine and light white pepper, bready malt and other spicy/herbal notes.

Taste- Zesty citrus, candied gooseberry, peach and light tropical fruit and pine, herbal hops.

Feel- Medium bodied, somewhat crisp and dry, pretty well balanced. Moderate carbonation on the tongue.

O- Another solid offering from E9. This brewery is really starting to grow on me. Definitely worth checking out.