Citra Smash IPA
Craft Brewers of Boise

this place is rad, and they do a mix of their own beers on tap and some well curated guest beers too. super small system they have, so i think these change quite frequently. the dudes working said this is one they make again and again, although with minor tweaks and stuff, incorporating learning from batch to batch. its hazy but maybe not intentionally so, its not starchy or thick or anything, just more of an unfiltered look. there isnt a ton of head, but it feels lively enough when i drink it. i like that they elected for a malt with some character, it has the faintest nutty and bready element to it, although still dry, flavorless barley never does all that well with citra for me, the hop just isnt diverse or complex enough by itself to make a beer like that interesting or balanced, so good choice, whatever they used here. the citra is obvious in the nose and taste, no mistake about it, meyer lemon, lemongrass, and melon, a light candied sweetness to it too, and an oily feel which i like. the fermentation seems a little warm to me though, there is a light ester to this where the yeast profile should probably be close to neutral here. it makes the beer a little heavy to me, and makes it seem a little amateurish. that said, its simple and the pint is easy to drink, the citra is fresh, and its cool that these guys are doing this, its a neat business model, and i can excuse a decent but not great beer given the service they are providing to the community here, which is brewing supplies and education. i need to make it back over here and try a few of their others. this is nothing special, but fun to sip on while shopping around in here...