Reeking Tunnels
Autodidact Beer

 

Reviewed one day after can release. Poured into a Willi Becher glass. It is hazier than many WCIPAs and is a honey color approaching amber. It boasts a half finger cap of fluffy, bright white foam and very thick lacing. The nose is sedate: malty with some faint citrus and herbs. It's not your father's West Coast IPA! The taste opens with a bit more citrus sweetness than I'd expected. There is lemon and grapefruit but also something like orange/tangerine. It's dank as hell with a heavy, earthy, weedy taste from the Strata hops. There is hop bitterness throughout but it isn't biting. I like the taste but I cannot easily describe it. For a West Coaster, the mouth feel is quite heavy - almost syrupy. The carbonation is pleasant and the 8.1% ABV is well-masked. Overall, this is a quirky WCIPA - in a good way.