Double Nickel IPA

**Aroma:** “Surprisingly malty nose with light caramel and toastiness. Mild paper oxidation. Faint hops aroma is earthy, like damp soil, but hard to find. Cloves, orange peel, toast, yeast, and hints of black pepper..” **Flavor:** “More hops in the flavor, offering an herbal blend of mint and marjoram, but the malt is far more forward— grainy with some toasty notes. Papery oxidation here, too, and mild bitterness. Hops flavor seems muddled and indistinct. Instead, I get a more saison-like quality with yeast esters and phenols. Cloves and even a bit of cracked black pepper, then a dry, bitter nish.” **Overall:** “Is this a session saison? The yeasty aromatics and avors seem more at home in a Biere de Table than in an American session IPA. I actually quite like this beer, but it works better as a generic Belgian-style table beer. Tartness when I swallow lingers on the back of the tongue. Very dry finish.”

“Aroma has plenty of clove spice, followed by tobacco and cigarettes. Assertive ester flavors. The carbonation is a bit low and the finish rather sweet.”

**Aroma:** “Fruity and spicy. Citrus notes followed by catnip. Fresh-mown lawn along with pineapple, banana, and a light earthy/woody base. Could benefit from a stronger nose.” **Flavor:** “Smooth malt, slightly sweet. Full body for a session-strength beer. Coconut, pineapple, black tea, and hints of toast. Bitterness is supportive but not overpowering. Finish is balanced between hops flavor, bitterness, and a light malt. Moderate fruity esters.” **Overall:** “Firm bitterness lingers just long enough. Nice mix of fruity hops and esters with a medium-sweet malt base. Just a bit of butter in the finish detracts from drinkability. An okay session IPA with acceptable hops character, but a touch watery and one-dimensional relative to others in the category. Seems more like a normal pale ale than a session IPA, but that’s just an arbitrary distinction.”