20th Anniversary India Pale Ale
Highland Brewing

 

"Hop-forward, yet balanced by a strong malt foundation, this ale pours deep golden in color. Two experimental hop varieties, currently named EXP-05256 and EXP-07270, as well as amarillo, lend notes of citrus and tropical fruits and lead to a pleasant bitter finish." Available in 22 oz. bottles and on limited draft. Entry #3 of 4 in the 20th Anniversary Ale series.

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle to a tulip glass.

(Appearance) Pours a foamy, frothed head of a buttery white color over a hazy sunset amber body with abundant carbonation. Retention is very good and lacing is moderate and patchy. 4

(Smell) Fruity, earthy hops with a moderate bitterness, joined with an English malt arrangement of toasted bread malt and light caramel syrup sweetness, as well as a suggestively English-style yeast with a moderate fruitiness and slightly thicker presence. Potency is moderate. 3.75

(Taste) Fruity, herbal and earthy hops with a moderate bitterness, and a lightly bodied malt profile, decidedly thin without much residual sweetness. Yeast profile with enhanced fruitiness, slightly buttery and arguably an English-styled IPA. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Texture is smooth, slick, lightly sticky, medium-dry. Carbonation is moderate, generating a medium frothiness and a moderately crisp finish. Body is medium for the style, medium overall. Balance is slightly hoppy and grainy bitter over sweet. Alcohol presence is mild and there are no off characters. 3.5

(Overall) The third entry in the series, and again another Ale that plays by the rules of the style, although I favor the slightly fruity undertones and earthier yeast of the English IPA, the setback is that the hop profiles, ever present, are fairly simple and largely uninteresting and the Amarillo very minute in the flavor. Well past its prime- although it was enjoyable, it doesn't merit a repeat visit. 3.5

Highland Brewing's
20th Anniversary India Pale Ale
/5.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amber beer, slightly beige colored soapy head. Aroma is sweet and loaded with hops. Crisp and happy. Fresh grains, delicate and endless hops. Floral, dankly fruity with apple, passionfruit perhaps, white wine, pear, grape skins in typical amarillo fashion, sweet and grassy. This beer is mouthwatering in its hoppiness. Juicy, dank, flavorful, and fun to smell.

Clear amber under a fat head of lumpy off-white foam. Sporadic, drippy lacing all the way down. Smells just like a freshly opened bag of hop pellets, sort of Columbus-like its deep, resinous pungency and grassy edge. Flavor continues with the dank, resinous greenness and adds some wood and black tea. The malts are very subtle, adding just the right amount of sweetness. Medium bodied, slightly oily, properly bitter. This is an olde school, resinous dank-bomb of an IPA. I don't know anything about the experimental hop varieties they used, but I like 'em...good stuff.

 

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a copper color and a clear consistency. There was a two inch, foamy, long-lasting head. Very good lacing.

S: A solid, but unsurprising aroma of hops and some citrus as well.

T: Tasted of hops, malt, and some citrus (grapefruit). The problem here was that the hops content (for an IPA) was a little weak. The flavor seemed more like an APA than anything else. Not bad, but a little underwhelming.

M: A decent amount of carbonation with a smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This is a very uneven beer. Nothing much about it stands above other beers of the style. It's still drinkable, but it could have been better.