4th Anniversary
Western Collective

Sampled at Growler Guys; gold pour with moderate haze and foamy head...strong, hoppy and malty nose, balanced in that regard, some citrus as well as crystal malt sweetness...the body is boozy, sharp, floral, and malty sweet with a good dose of hop bitterness with some zesty, rindy citrus notes. Not quite as balanced and enjoyable (I won't say approachable) as other triple IPA's I'm accustomed to but at 12% abv that is to be expected.

16oz can from Brewers Haven. Cloudy golden pour, one finger head recedes to thin foamy cap. Hoppy aroma with notes of citrus. Taste brings zesty bitterness, toffee, fruity with a hefty alcohol presence. Creamy, mouth coating, touch of dryness.

calling this a quad ipa, a term i dont love but it makes sense for their fourth anniversary, impressive specimen on a number of levels. i like it being golden and not relying on heavier malt to make it balanced, great call on that, this drinks deceptively light because of it, and the omission of crystal type malt allows a little bitterness to go a long way, this isnt an ibu monster, and so it drinks pretty swiftly for what it is. they also did a good job not letting the alcohol be exposed in it, there is no telling this is as strong as it is. lastly, its super simple beer, mosaic and strata, pale two row barley, flavorless ale yeast, the less is more thing is true of this, its quality shines, nowhere no hide flaws, there are none, technical excellence, not always the case historically with these guys, so great to see. lightly floral, a touch catty from the mosaic, a little spice thing from the strata, a hint of berry on the swallow too, off dry but right. some nice minerality, resplendent freshness, and a relatively fast finish for the style. a neat brew for their anniversary, i think it shows a ton of growth in the most important aspect for any brewery, objective quality. not the best or most interesting ive ever had, but they should feel really good about this!