Kestrel’s Joy IPA
Trap Rock Restaurant & Brewery

 

 

 

 

if you are in the area this is a nice place to spend some time, nice town

eyes...
golden straw with some orange hue, pretty clear but not windexed, a small amount of carb trails up the brew feeding a rather small head that hides quicker than the plot of a twilight movie, nothing stands out, looking at this doesn't really inspire much anticipation

nose...
as the bartendress was pouring this I could smell it feet away, so I knew this would smell good, west coast hops abound, it reminds me of ages ago when I first tried a sierra nevada after college years of el-crapola beer, you get a nice mix of pine, ocean mist, malt sweetness in the back tinged with citrus bite, nothing medicinal noted at all, the hops smell great and yet do not melt your face off in the process, really nice consistent odor on this, yes sir, I like it!

taste etc...
bitter up front, then a wave of malt sweetness, finished with another hop blast, the differing hops really present themselves in different spots here, this is definitely packing some bitter, your mouth just gets coated with cone-y goodness
weight wise this drinks medium with a nice crisp carbonation bite
this takes a little getting used to the bitterness, once you get used to it the malt settles in some, but this is pretty aggressive (not a complaint ya hump), some warming from the ABV is also going on

verdict?
hoppy, yet not over hopped. worth having for sure, just not all night!
super fresh, makes me want to venture up to the heights more often.

 

 

 

 

Pours a golden amber with moderate cap of white froth, some sticky lacing. Scent brings light citrus and pine with some grassyness, light malt backbone. Taste is hoppy and bitter but more grassy than fruity, malt backbone makes itself known but doesnt offer too much flavor. Medium bodied. Decent IPA with a little bit of off flavor from the hops.

 

 

Pours a dark golden yellow with a nice frothy/soapy white head that leaves substantial lacing on my glass.

Aromas of sweet pine resin mixed with some citrus and grapefruit. Pale malt lends a slight biscuity dryness, but the hops are really the star of this show. Slightly catty and resiny.

The taste begins with mildly sweet and grain maltiness, but then quickly pushed aside by the hop bite. Strong bitterness combined with pine and citrus, earthy tones and a little hop spice. This is straight American IPA highlighted by the big 3 C hops.

The mouthfeel and finish wasn't the driest but was still very clean and massively bitter. The C hops dominate your palate and are a bit brash for my hop preference.

Overall an impressive beer from a small brewpub and reminder me a lot of fresh Sierra Nevada Celebration, which is good for some, but I am just not a fan of Chinook or Centennial hops as they are too catty, resiny and grapefruit dominant. Impressive job just not to my palate's preference.

A - a very golden colored west coast style IPA, tons of sticky lacing

S - very fruity hops, lots of malt

T - one of the most bitter IPA's i've had (aside from most Stone beers), lots of bitter hops

M - a little bit heavy at first but goes does nice and smooth considering how bitter it is

O - this is a very crisp refreshing IPA and am hoping is still on tap this spring/summer

 

 

I just had this tonight at the restaurant.

I read the good ratings on this beer, and I was excited to try this IPA.

Overall this is a pretty good East Coast IPA. Hops are present, but they are not overwhelming.

You can smell and taste the citrus, but they balance well. They are there in each taste. The beer is refreshing, and kind of surprise that a beer with that mouth feel has 7% ABV.

This was a pretty good IPA.

On tap @ the Trap Rock Resto.

A - Nice copperish color to the beer with a slight amount of head.

S - Nice aroma of hops.

T - A smooth flavored IPA. Initially, I was assuming that it was going to be a West Coast-IPA flavor, but after trying the beer, it wasn't as hoppy as a WC.

M - Good amount of carbonation.

D - Brought a growler of the IPA. Sat in the fridge for about two weeks, unopened, and it still tasted very well once opened. Worth getting!

On tap @ the brewpub 06-07-09

Listed as a big, bold West Coast-styled IPA, amber in color, with plenty of malt to balance generous additions of Centennial and Cascade hops. Kestrel is a type of Hawk. 7.0% abv

It does live up to the color and has a generous off-white head. Smell of citrus and pine are most dominant in the nose. The taste is very well balanced, with just enough malt sweetness to balance out the hops. The mouthfeel is medium for the style, not too light, not too heavy. Goes down pretty easy considering the 7%abv. This was my 1st beer at the Trap Rock and look forward to having more offering from here, now that my father lives 5min from the brewpub

A west coast style IPA described as balanced with malt and centennial and cascade hops.

Poured a hazy copper into a shapely beer glass. Well done on the appearance.

Aroma came across too balanced for the "west coast" style. I would have preferred more hop punch, especially from the centennial hops.

Flavor isn't of the west coast variety either. Too balanced with the malt. West coast to me is unbalanced to the pac nw American hops.

This is still a fine beer which I enjoyed.