Greetings From Brenham TX
Brewery: Brazos Valley Brewing Co.
Style: Brut IPA – Specialty IPA(21B)
Package: 12oz Can
Purchased: Sunrise Minimart, October, 2018
Best by: NA
Consumed Date: 10/18/2018
Details from the Brewer
ABV: 6.5%
Greetings From Brenham is crisp and dry IPA (like a champagne) with loads of Citra and Mosaic hops. Brewed to celebrate the Texas Arts & Music Festival in Brenham, TX.
Review
Aroma – 10/12
Medium high notes of citrus peel, guava and blueberry hit the nose first. This is joined by lower aromas of melon and floral. There’s a touch of sweetness, and maybe a hint of grainy malt character.
Appearance – 3/3
Pours a deep straw color liquid. Clarity is excellent, but becomes hazy towards the bottom of the can. Head is composed of small and fine white bubbles. It starts with a decent thickness and lasts with above average retention, eventually becoming a ring.
Flavor – 16/20
The hop flavor mirrors what is seen in the aroma. Orange citrus, mixes with a tropical guava, mango character at a medium-high intensity. It becomes a bit more complex in the mid-taste with berry notes joining in with melon. These flavors begin to fade pretty quickly towards the finish. A low-moderate bitterness appears on the finish, with a hint of citrus character lingering in the mouth. Drinks very dry, but not austere. Balance is completely towards the hops with hardly any malt character or yeast profile.
Mouthfeel – 4/5
Medium bodied throughout the taste. Moderate-high carbonation that prickles the roof of the mouth. Finish provides a good amount of sharpness as it leaves the mouth. No astringency. There is a touch of alcohol warmth in the throat.
Overall Impression – 8/10
This is a really nice interpretation of a Brut IPA. It nails the style pretty well, and could only use a few tweaks to improve. I felt that the hop profile in the flavor died off a little quickly in the taste. I’d like to see it carry through to the finish more. It also seemed like it had a bit more body to it than I expected in the style. These would just be minor tweaks to push it to world-class level.
Rating – 41/50
Brut IPA is definitely an interesting new style to drink and try examples off as breweries figure it out. While it does finish drier and thus more drinkable than a NEIPA, I can’t help but find myself wishing for a bit of malt character That said, Greetings from Brenham does a great job of representing the style. I’d recommend grabbing a can if you haven’t had a brut IPA yet.
