Farm To Kettle
Crossbuck Brewing

fresh hop ipa done with centennial. obviously it is getting to the back end of this season and this was likely brewed awhile ago, but its still tasting good enough to be on tap at the brewery. centennial hops are more versatile than they often get credited for being, its not all alpha acid or piney notes, especially as a dry hop, and especially again as a fresh hop, here its more unique colors show. the base beer is just a little malty looking, bronze toned, still bright and pretty clear with a decent white head from the tap, looks fine. the nose is at first a little familiar, some medium crystal malt supporting northwestern hops, oily and resinous, but behind that as i sit with this i start to get sweet orange and green tea notes, things i dont always find in centennial, and the freshness is still there, although this seems balanced more like a pale ale than a typical ipa. the flavor is similar, still identifiable as centennial, its not that radical, but the nuance is nice, herbal in a somewhat delicate way, not green at all, and frankly not all that bitter, although not absent there either. i get tangerine and navel orange juice, fresh juniper, and sticky weed. its nice and its not overdosed. there is a little untidiness in the ferment which drags this down slightly, especially with the bigger body, but overall its a solid effort, especially for such a familiar hop. these guys are doing a nice job across a range of styles, well worth checking out!