Rentsch DDH IPA
Brewery: Rentsch Brewing
Style: American IPA (18B)
Package: 12oz Can
Best By Date: 06/29/2018
Purchased Date: HEB – Tech Ridge, April 2018
Details from the Brewer
7.7%
90 IBU
Review
Aroma – 9/12
Orange and citrus hop dominates the aroma at a moderate high intensity. A slight pine come in a little lighter to round out the hops. Some malty sweetness and grainy character is also present. There is something that hints at a sharpness at the end of the smell. Not sure if it’s alcohol or a phenol.
Appearance – 3/3
Pours a deep gold almost light amber liquid. A noticeable haze just barely prevents seeing through the glass. An off-white ivory head of a couple cm consists of small and fine compact bubbles. This has decent staying power, and comes back quickly when roused.
Flavor – 15/20
The orange and citrus character from the aroma carries over to flavor, and hits hard at the start of the taste. This mixes with a bit of a melon and pineapple notes, but at a low-medium intensity. In the mid-palate, a moderate grainy sweetness comes out. There is a very light bread and caramel note, but they are tucked away in the background. The finish reveals a moderate smooth bitterness. It also finishes dry, with the only lingering flavors being the hops. As it warms, there is a slight sharpness which I’m not sure is due to the hops or a possible phenol.
Mouthfeel – 3/5
A moderate carbonation with a medium-light body. Medium alcohol warmth with a touch of sharpness. No astringency, but a chalky sensation on the finish of sips.
Overall Impression – 7/10
This is a tasty IPA. The hop character comes out nicely in both the flavor and aroma. I wasn’t a fan of the chalkiness which followed every sip. I was a bit concerned by the slight sharpness character which was hinting in both the aroma and flavor, it got a bit stronger as the beer hit room temp. If that can be addressed, it would definitely bump up to an excellent rating.
Rating – 37/50
After being dissapointed by their Blonde a few weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised by this DDH IPA. It’s still drinking nicely right now being a few weeks old. Not quite the hazy hype IPA, it was plenty juicy and presented some nice hop character. As long as the sharpness I noted doesn’t translate into the phenols I experienced in the Blonde, this should stay a good beer. I’m curious if Rentsch will continue down the path of releasing more beers like this, deviating from their more German oriented core beers.
