Coronado Brewing Company Islander IPA

__Aroma:__ “Peach, lemon, tangerine, and piney up front. A bit of herbal, grassy, floral, and pineapple in the background. Toasty/bready malt is bigger than I’d expect.” __Flavor:__ “Simple malt bill with a touch of toasted character plays second fiddle to the light colored citrus hops (orange, grapefruit, lemon). Some earthy spice notes as well hit in the middle of the taste. Balance is great for the style, though a bit under-carbonated. Bitterness is present but not overwhelming.” __Overall:__ “Peach up front with a more classic West Coast IPA aroma in the background. Good balance of malt sweetness and assertive bitterness. Well-made beer.”

A spicy hops character dominates the beer, and the malt bill has a caramel quality to it that leaves a cloying character on the finish. It's a beer that you can play beer pong with, share at a cookout, or nurse over a good book. Does it change the world? No. But that's not the point of this style.

__Aroma:__ “Subtle aromas, with hints of citrus, grapefruit, orange, and lemon with slightly pithy notes. Blueberry and cherry notes and a tiny bit of dank herbal and floral hops. Bready caramel malt.” __Flavor:__ “Bergamot, tangerine, and herbal notes up front, with some grapefruit pith and hops. Moderate esters bring in notes of cherry and blueberry, which play nicely with the citrus, the lemongrass, and bitterness of the hops. Light simple malt bill adds a supportive caramel-malt character. It’s well-balanced and not too aggressively bitter, if a bit too pithy. Dry finish, very clean.” __Overall:__ “For an IPA, the aroma is pretty understated. The fruit and hops blend nicely, but neither stands out. The malts are simple, balanced, pleasant, and dry. The bitterness is firm, but the citrus pith competes, making it too pithy to be pleasant. It’s more bitter than fruity, yet it’s drinkable on a summer day.”