Golden Road Brewing Point The Way IPA

**Aroma:** “Very bright on the nose overall. A bit of a campsite character: Pine sap, fresh pine, very faint smoke. There’s also a bit of lime rind, too. Grapefruit, orange, citrus, fruit character—lots of hops dominate the nose.” **Flavor:** “Big pine and citrus notes couple with a superclean malt profile. Intense bitterness lingers long after the beer is swallowed. Nice and dry on the finish to accentuate the bitterness. Pine and citrus complexity—lemon and tangerine. Wonderful flavor—strong but not overwhelming and expands on the nose nicely. Good bitter foundation that anchors the finish. Very mild flash of alcohol warmth at the swallow, but smooth. Fairly dry.” **Overall:** “This beer drinks easier than it should. The crisp malt bill allows for none of the hops character to hide. I like the more-ish quality. Quite refreshing. The more I drink it, the more I enjoyed it.”

**Aroma:** “Moderately sweet with a slight phenolic. Peach, mango. Not intensely hoppy. Some malt sweetness. Some orange, pine, and lemon.” **Flavor:** “Sweet up front and strongly bitter on the finish. The phenolic shows up on the palate as well. Hops evoke peach, orange, and mango. Slight slickness on the tongue indicating possible diactyl. The bitterness fights against the sweetness in this flavor a bit. Finishes with some warmth. Very mild hops avor compared to most the others. Some grassiness and a bit of floral. Lots of pithy bitterness and little of that malt complexity from the nose.” **Overall:** “Slightly disjointed with a few missteps that detract from overall impression. Hops character is pleasant, but is overshadowed by the phenolic. The beer has some good flavors at its core—the malt character has some nice sweetness, and the hops have some good juice and bitterness. But the sum of the whole here is not greater than the parts.”

**Aroma:** “Pepper-like rye spice hits up front, with a bit of cinnamon and a medium, woody hops aroma. Some fruity, Kölsch-like esters, with a little citrus, apple, pear, and banana. Some biscuit toast in the back.” **Flavor:** “The prominent malt body has some nice biscuit sweetness. A little pepper character adds complexity, but it’s not too bitter. Detectable yeast esters of ripe pear and apple balance the bitterness of the hops. Finishes clean, smooth, and crisp with great carbonation.” **Overall:** “I loved the carbonation in this beer. The rye seemed to fit and work with the malt. Lots of flavor that’s complex and interesting, although perhaps too full for a Pilsner. This beer is about the rye, and the hops do not get in the way.”