Coronado North Island IIPA
What the brewers say
“Hopped with Mosaic, Centennial, Simcoe, and Citra.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Delicious fruity notes of primarily orange, apricot, and pineapple. Some light grassiness, but it adds a nice depth. Biscuit malt sweetness in the background, mixed with the dankness of the hops. The aroma slides to earthy/musty as the beer warms.”
Flavor: “A wallop of hops fruitiness up front mellows into a nice touch of sweetness, that tapers into an appropriate bitter and juicy finish. Hops flavors incorporate candied oranges, pineapples, over-ripened mangoes, and papayas. Some danky pine notes emerge as it warms, but this only adds depth to an already stellar beer—the orange and tropical fruit notes play off each other and the medium bitterness nicely.”
Overall: “A wonderfully complex beer that evolves over the entire tasting experience. Great mouthfeel brings out all of the right aspects of the hops schedule and fermentation. Very enjoyable and dangerously drinkable—it approaches the line where hops bitterness fights with alcohol strength, but it doesn’t cross the line.”
