Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company County Line IPA
What the brewers say
“Full of Warrior, Chinook, Columbus, Simcoe, and Centennial hops. Its bready malt backbone counters some of that hops bitterness, but the lingering hops bitterness shows resinous pine notes, citrusy lemon, and grapefruit.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Earthy hops character with white-wine notes plus grapefruit and passion fruit. Very clean—no malt or yeast aroma. Bright citrus notes, with fresh zested grapefruit, orange creamsicle, and sweet tangerine.”
Flavor: “Initial impression delivers on the aroma, with earthy, winey characteristics. Very faint light malt, and any esters are covered by the hops. Firm bitterness starts nice but then becomes aggressively licorice-like on the back of the tongue in the finish. Tastes like I bit into a freshly picked grapefruit—rind, pulp, juice, and all.”
Overall: “The aroma is pleasant and balanced toward the fruity/juicy hops, but the puckering licorice-like bitterness is too forward. Apart from that, this is a nice IPA. The earthy, wine-like hops are interesting, aromatic, and flavorful. But a heavy-handed bitterness dominates the flavor, overwhelming the other flavors.”
