Single Hop Citra IPA
Matanuska Brewing

this one caught me by surprise a little bit, as usually the single hop pale types are all extremely pale and really light, like session beers with golden color more often than what we get here, a stronger, more hearty, more classic northwestern pale that just happens to use only one hop varietal. i like the approach, especially for spring in alaska where it was still pretty darn chilly when we were there. a deep orange to light amber color on this from the tap, unfiltered looking, and with an average white head on it. the nose is cool, a little sweet which i think extends and enhances the hops, fruity and not at all generic, white wine, peach, zested lemon. very low in bitterness as citra beers often are when i taste it. ive been critical of this varietal as a single hop thing in the past, but im immediately attracted to this, pineapple and lemon and subtle stone fruit too, a little more dynamic than it often is by itself, even kind of juicy and tropical to me, papaya, white grape, really fresh. the malt has some toasted and honey notes, but isnt heavy, not as full feeling as it looks either, and this ends up being drier than expected for its color. the balance of this is great, and its old school pale to me on the one hand, but without the bitterness or pine character from the hops, so kind of modern on the other. good carbonation, soft texture, creamy headed, cool pale.