Brick by Brick
Brick West Brewing Co.

 

 

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours on the light side of medium amber with a fine, three finger white head with great retention and nice lacing. Aroma of lightly caramel malt, citrus and light fruit hops, orange, lemon and light stone fruit, pleasant. Flavor is pale and lightly biscuit malt, citrus and piney hops, lemon, grapefruit, mild light stone fruit and a touch of dankness in the finish. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess. A solid, malty IPA with West Coast leaning hops. Although kudos to Brick West for date stamping their cans, the day and year were clear, but the month unreadable. Although the hops are nice, they seem to have a touch of age to them with somewhat muted herbal character. The bitterness is fine. Fortunately it's a good hop bill with the citrus and pine I look for and a touch of fruit esters that add some interest. I liked this and will certainly watch for a know fresh can or keg; this one is worthy of another drink.

From a sixer picked up at Fred Meyer in Tri Cities, WA; first experience with Brick West
12oz can poured into a Big Head's Belgian-style tulip

P brilliant deep orange w/ a 1f foamy white head; quick recession
N med aroma of sweet mango and tropical notes
T follows nose, w/ tropical, mango, and guava notes over bready malt; light bitterness in finish; simple profile; tasty
Mf med-full bodied w/ med carb
O a solid IPA- exceeded my expectations; would have again

review date: 06.29.22
can date: n/a

Pours a pale gold color, slight chill haze with a modest white head. Smell is tropical fruit sweet. Taste is balanced, malt flavor and a mild bitter finish. A nice wet IPA.

draught
Ongoing, very creamy and moderately thick, white head. Medium light gold appearance. Moderate level of candied grapefruit peel and floral perfume, on a light base of medium, off-dry, malt. A little light on the body here. Flavors of sweet grapefruit peel and off-dry, medium toasted and caramelized malt.

Poured from a 12 ounce can into a tulip glass.

Look- Pale gold, mildly hazy, tiny visible particulate, white frothy head, average head retention, below average lacing.

Smell- Pine resin, spicy, grapefruit.

Taste- Pine resin, grapefruit, spicy.

Feel- Between thin and medium body, average carbonation, high bitterness, mildly dry finish, moderately prickly.

Overall- Exactly what a West Coast IPA should taste like. Nice balance of pine resin and citrus with a very light malt backbone. This was a well done example of this style of beer.

i had higher hopes for this one, being a flagship of sorts for them, but its pretty tired tasting, could be that i had it at an italian restaurant more focused on wine and cocktails than beer, could have been in the line awhile or something, but when you take care of all the other details, you have to take care of the beer too. they call it west coast, but its not all that clear, and still seems as much dry hopped as it is bittered, and not overly interesting on the hops at that, some resinous pine character that is a little muted to me, and then some obvious mosaic, pineapple and dried apricot, but also a little oxidation. the nose and taste are about the same, i like that the hop flavor starts early, that the grain flavor is minimal despite it having a medium body, and that the ferment is pretty tidy, but this doesnt seem as dialed in as their best beers, and i will have to revisit it when i can certify it being in its freshest state. fine carbonation, some finishing bitterness as it warms, a little of that west coast oily feel, but overall not in its best form and not a great companion to my heady meal...