mono.tone.amarillo
Tonewood Brewing - Barrington

(16 oz can, canned 12/18/20; purchased cold 4-pk yesterday... poured into fat tulip)

L: moderately hazy, opaque, pale diluted honey colored liquid; shiny, sudsy, loose, off-white foam, which builds to a craggy crest... thin collar left, little lace

S: orange and white grapefruit juiced shells, heavy floral (marigold?) undertone... after a few sips, dominant aroma of white grapefruit rind and porridge, then maybe some woodsy pine creeping in, followed by a floral lipstick note... overall moderate intensity, muddy

T: light muffin-y malt base dusted in citrus powder; finish and aftertaste sport a grassy-spicy bite, pungent peppery lingering almost acidic resin... long after first big sip, and little residual sweetness; herbal spice still aflame, citrus undertones becoming more pithy-bitter

F: moderately sudsy-foamy, blanket-soft texture; light-medium bodied, but lacking definition... alcohol and lingering bitterness provides a light, lasting stunning sensation to the palate

O: I have had a few of this series, but can't recall similarities... relatively well-balanced overall and something I'd enjoy drinking again (1733)

This was another beer that I was given by a cousin a few weeks back. Never had anything from Tonewood before nor had I heard of them. Sure, this was a sufficient IPA that was good at featuring one hop but besides that, there wasn't a whole lot that was special about this. It was smooth, easy to drink, and pleasant out of the gate without anything about it being particularly noteworthy.

The pour to this was pretty typical for a beer of this sort as the liquid was a milky dandelion with a moderately bubbly head topping it off. Not a lot of lacing was left behind as there were a few splotchy sections of it near the top of my pint glass and again down by the bottom. Lots of dry white cheese, earthy hops, and some turbid stone fruit in the nose as the bitterness exploded forth in the taste. Plenty of bitterness emerged once this fully warmed up, but it needed more fruit and juiciness to it. This almost felt like wine, along the lines of Galaxy or Nelson and not quite like other beers that I've had that featured Amarillo.

Not a lot of booze to this and with a basic malt and light carbonation, this came across as unassuming as could be. Dated 6/22 with "RILLO IS LIFE" written underneath it, this held up well over the last three months as it looked and tasted as fresh as could be. The lingering burn and lack of depth were a bit disconcerting as this turned out to be something just to chug down. With so many IPA's available, this would not be the first one I'd reach for, although it's glad to see another brewery here in Jersey up and running. Worth a go once if you enjoy beers with this particular hop.