Two Roads Brewing Company Road 2 Ruin

“Hop-forward nose brings floral lemongrass and apricot. Malty backbone is well-balanced with a subtle hop fruitiness and bitter finish. Clean and bright. Great mouthfeel. More of a subtle, moderately bitter IPA with an inoffensively mild staying power.”

__Aroma:__ “Orange, grapefruit, lemon, and pine. Grassy, herbal. Some pineapple, mango and a touch of vanilla-like sweetness. The malt is subtle—light and vaguely sweet.” __Flavor:__ Nice sweetness up front. Some notes of grapefruit, a little orange, slight lemon. A little pine. Well balanced with significant bitterness to cut the lightly toasted sweetness. Light body, clean semisweet malt. __Overall:__ A pretty standard West Coast IPA. Nice citrus notes with some pine and tropical fruit. The balance with the bitterness worked well, but it could use a touch of malt complexity. Clean and crisp, and very sessionable for a beer of evident strength.

**Aroma:** “Light citrus and tropical fruit—tangerine and mango with a dash of pineapple. Light and delicate esters of pear and rose. Lemon, hay, bits of pine, and rustic earth. Some cheese as it warms. Slight papery oxidation begins to come out as the hops dissipate.” **Flavor:** “Soft and delicate with a malty sweetness mid-palate. Hops bitterness is mellow but sufficient to put this in the IPA range. Herbal, woodsy, and earthy—might make for a great mushroom sauce. Malt body is well-rounded, supple, and welcome.” **Overall:** “Very drinkable and refreshing. If you like hops that err on the side of earthy and woodsy, give this one a try. I’d like to use this to make a pan sauce with sauteed mushrooms. Bitterness is firm but nicely restrained. Nice flavor—fruity citrus and pine. A bit too light to mask the oxidation, but it’s a straightforward example of the style.”