Juicy IPA
Brewery: Lake Austin Ales
Style: New England IPA – Specialty IPA(21B)
Package: 12oz Can
Purchased: Sunrise Minimart, October, 2018
Canned: 9/27/18
Consumed Date: 10/18/2018
Details from the Brewer
ABV: 6.5%
Review
Aroma – 5/12
Pineapple and orange citrus hit the nose first at a moderate high level. This seems to be mixed with a low-medium level garlic character. Some lower intensity berry hop notes come out as well. There is a slight honey malt sweetness present.
Appearance – 3/3
Pours a deep yellow straw liquid. An expected heavy haze is present, but not completely opaque. Fine and micro white bubbles compose a thick head that lasts with amazing retention and lacing.
Flavor – 13/20
Citrus hop character hits hard on first sip. There are moderate pineapple, strawberry, mango notes which join in. Towards the finish, a similar onion/garlic flavor appears, as seen in the aroma. The finish brings a low-moderate bitterness, but also a grassy hop character.
Mouthfeel – 4/5
Medium carbonation. The beginning of the taste is medium-full bodied, and maintains even through the dry finish. The finish is very dry with a slight cheek-puckering astringency. Barely noticeable alcohol warmth in the throat. Finish brings with it a nice creaminess.
Overall Impression – 5/10
This is a pretty good attempt at New England IPA. I had a really hard time getting past the garlic aroma even though it wasn’t as intense as the citrus and tropical fruit hop character. A better batch of hops might fix this. I’d also like to see a bit less grassy flavor and astringency on the finish. Dry-hop contact time could be a factor.
Rating – 30/50
This was a throwback for me to a few years ago when I had a bad experience with a 4-pack of Karback Hop Delusion. It was a complete onion bomb, which I struggled to drink. While this wasn’t near as intense, it really makes you appreciate the local brewers who are able to go to hop selection from their growers each year, and select batches after sensory analysis. I’m hoping to try more batches from Lake Austin Ales in the future and see if they improve.
