Modest Freak
Loose Screw Beer Co. - Downtown Brewery Taproom

 

a session ipa here, low in alcohol and pretty big on flavor, some pretty punchy bitterness for a session type, which almost always seem delicate to me and this one really doesnt, despite being a light drinker, its not reduced or minimal at all to me, a good beer to scratch my itch for something hoppy on a hot summer afternoon. the hops have an almost spicy vibe to them, not quite northwestern to me, and almost a little funky or something too, like zesty, slightly vegetal, and intense, with some bitterness coming on earlier than is normal, even for a more robust ipa, and lingering on the tongue through the finish. i get some green tea character, a little bit of spruce, and a sort of menthol intensity as well, lighter lemon and grassiness bring it back a little bit, but this is distinctive on the hop side, especially for a session type. there is just a little fermentation character to this, but its pretty clean overall. i liked the hacky hophead the best of their hoppy beers, but this was solid too. the quality has improved here under the loose screw name.

edit: i liked this just as much the second time, clean and bright as the style demands, citrusy and fragrant and nicely hopped without being overly bitter, very tasty, very minimal, a good example of the style overall, and far from boring despite its approachability.

Crowler pour from the brewery poured into a nonic. Lightly hazed straw-colored pour with white head and some lacing. Aromas of citrus pith and grapefruit and pine on the nose. Crisp and refreshing lighter body with flavors of orange peel and lemon, some grapefruit and a dose of pine, with some bitterness that lends to the brews refreshing characteristics. Overall a good session IPA.

Draft at taproom. Cloudy golden, thin, filmy head, solid lacing. Light citrusy aroma. Taste is grapefruit peel, a lot more than you expect based on the aroma. Citric bitterness lingers a while on the palate.