Maine Brewing Company - Lunch

American IPA 12 oz. dark brown bottle. Bottled date 10-25-11
Served in a SA perfect pint glass
It pours a hazy goldish copper color with a full 2" beige head on top along with loads of sticky and patchy lacing.
A smell of pink grapefruit rises at once, followed by smells of bready malt, lemon zest, mixed fruit and whiff of gin in the vapors.
The flavors are juicy and citrusy up front. Slightly sweetened grapefruit, zesty limes, resinous hops roll around in a pool of creamy caramel malt. Minor tastes of pine, pepper and herbal mint peek in the finish. A little alcoholic fuminess is felt more than tasted. You're aware of its presence, but not confronted by it.
This is, at the moment my very favorite IPA! Incredible IPA!

Lefebvre - Hopus Ale

Brewery Lefebvre - Hopus Ale Quenast, Belgium 8.3% abv
11.2oz stubby brown flip top bottle. Best before date stamped on back label. Served in Kapittel Watou stemmed snifter.
Pours a cloudy caramel toffee color with a fluffy white head and loads of sticky, clinging lace.
The smell is a little disjointed with sour yeast, dry hay, horse barn, oak, floral hops and gin.
The flavors are rangy as well, but with more complimentary results. Edgy astringent hops, lemon zest, gin, orange peel and Orange Lifesavers. A little metallic tang is noticed in the finish.
The mouthfeel is a little raspy at the first few gulps but mellows out as it warms.
For some reason, I feel this tart and bitter brew will go nicely with lemon tarts or bitter pineapple upside down cake.

Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)

Samuel Smith - IPA - England - 5% abv
“Top fermented in Stone Yorkshire Squares.”
It pours a brassy copper color with a fairly good-sized white head and some trails of lace. A floral hop aroma is front and center and light malty smell mingles with a faint whiff of cut hay. The biscuity malt body is lightly grainy with just a hint of caramel sweetness. This highly hopped ale displays a sharp grapefruit bitterness with a mild lemony sour taste. The light metallic tang provides some back of the throat edginess. A mildly herbal quality offers little reprieve from the bitterness, but does manage to provide an interesting angle to ponder.
This in the original IPA style and a very good example at that.

Harviestoun Brewery - Bitter and Twisted IPA

Harviestoun Brewery Ltd - Scotland - 4.2% abv
From a review in 2003
A real treat to find this at the NERAX 2003! Bright golden in color with medium-sized bubbles and a fast fading head. The lace is thin, but a little sticky. The hoppy aroma is slightly mellowed by hints of lightly roasted malt. Sharp, citrusy bitterness with an edgy aggressiveness. Mellows, sweetens and balances out toward the end of the glass. Very gulpable!

Wolaver's India Pale Ale

Tonight we're eating organic chili. So the appropriate thing to do is to have an organic ale to wash it down. Later, I'm going out to hug a tree.

Wolaver’s India Pale Ale - Organic - Middlebury, VT 6.5% abv
Brown bottle. No freshness date.
It pours a deep shiny golden coppery color with a firm white head on top along with lots a sticky, trailing lacing.
A hoppy citrus aroma is upfront but fades rather quickly. A light smell of cut oak and fresh cut hay lasts throughout.
Nice citrusy bitter hop tastes mingle with a hint of pine and copper. A slightly sweet malt flavor inches forward as the ales warms. The hop to malt taste balances very well at about the halfway point. A mild pepper spiciness and slight alcoholic taste are noticed with little effort.
I’m glad to see more organic beer choices popping up. The more the merrier!