TRH Bakers Dozen
E9 Brewing Co.

 

a gorgeous ipa brewed for the red hot, which we didnt make it to on this trip, but got to enjoy a pint at the brewery. a perfectly clear and radiant deep brassy golden brew, sexy in the glass under a tall inch of white head with perfect retention. it smells both familiar and new, like there are some piney northwestern varietals at work here, but also something new school and fruity, a mix of hops i would assume, although im not sure what they are. a grapefruity simcoe element seems apparent, a woodsy centennial type, columbus maybe, does anyone know? behind all that i get some ripe melon, lemongrass, and even a tea note, moderate bitterness but really super clean to drink. the malt base is minimal in taste, a light honey thing to it, perhaps ever so softly toasted, but its dry as can be to finish, supports the hops well, and stays out of the way, this is squarely medium bodied, no heavier. the ferment is super tidy, the hops are fresh as can be, and this is a fine specimen of a west coast ipa, which i reckon is becoming a lost art. these guys can do it all, and its rad to have something apparently so simple this well done, really expertly refined and if they didnt have so many exciting choices when we were in, i would have made an evening of these. great stuff, cool hop profile, professionally done!