Hopstepper
Vice Beer

its been fun seeing the vice beer stuff show up in idaho, lots of them around now, draft and package, and this is a great ipa northwestern and classic, not overly malty as i say that, like the new classic, not the old classic, very clean and tidy, drinkable, and professional overall. a fine combination of amarillo and idaho 7, which do more together in this than they generally do by themselves, so credit for that. golden and fairly clear, short white head from the tap, some lacing as it drinks, well carbonated, fairly standard for the style. aromatically its quite robust, some spiciness, some pine, some resinous oily weedy danky properties, lemon and orange zest and pith, some cereal grain and modest sweetness with it, a honey note there, grassy and fresh, neutral ferment, tidy and brisk, none of the onion thing that sometimes shows up with idaho 7, real good. the flavor is woodsy and fresh too, there is a beauty in the simplicity here, little more than pale barley malt and these hops, good water, excellent proportions, subtle juniper, mango and orange fruitiness, and lemon verbena, only middle of the road bitterness but some punch there on the swallow, rushing carbonation, some hoppy linger, medium bodied, pure and clean. a light melon note as it warms, a hint of green pinecone, early starting hops, consistent flavor, very well done overall. sometimes less can be more, and this isnt overengineered, its proper.