Toppling Goliath Pompeii

Aroma: “Citrus, lemon and orange mostly, along with some pine, candied peach, and candied orange. It’s slightly woody and fairly minty on retronasal. Some spiciness.” Flavor: “Lemony, but some grapefruit pith, too. Some resinous pine. Sharp bitterness locks onto the tongue and lasts forever. Some hops astringency. Fairly dry all the way through. Aggressive hops are accentuated by the sharp carbonic acid bite.” Overall: “A strong West Coast thing. A throwback to the early days of American strong IPAs.”

**Aroma:** “Citrus, orange, nice juicy fruit notes with biscuit sweetness. Lemon, thyme, pine, and a faint grainy sweetness. Floral honey.” **Flavor:** “Intriguing sweetness and juicy fruit character in this beer. Nice citrus notes of orange, grapefruit, and lemon. The bitterness is measured with the malt and hops sweetness for a delicate, delightful malt backbone. Floral honey and lime citrus notes up front—a very different profile than what we have had so far. Almost a light acidic note with a touch of salt reminiscent of a gose. Dry aftertaste with medium bitterness that intertwines with that acidity.” **Overall:** “A very enjoyable IPA—fruity, juicy, and avorful. Spritzy, playful, and fun. It delights the senses while remaining drinkable. Big citrus notes with lemon and lime with a slight acidic note that is complementary not distracting. Unique combo of citrus and acidity helps it stand out in a crowded field.”

**Aroma:** “Hops express as citrus and pine with some fruity orange notes. Malt is subtly bready, hiding behind the hops. Very fresh like a spring herb garden. Soft, well-rounded hops aroma. Nice blend of tropical fruit (papaya, mango, light pineapple) and spicy hops character. Hints of Thai basil and oregano. Very intriguing.” **Flavor:** “Earthy, wet, piney, and herbal. Flavor picks up where the nose left off. Similar elements here, with the spiciness more in the fore, adding some lemongrass to the other herbal elements. Light bitterness doesn’t distract from the hops flavor.” **Overall:** “A balanced, pleasant, and quaffable brew. The mix of hops rounds out the rough edges, and hops bitterness is lower than some other examples making this beer very approachable. Body has good depth but minimal character. Overall, a pretty good session IPA.