Terrapin Beer Co. RecreationAle Session IPA Session IPA at 4.7% ABV | 42 IBU (US$3.33 at Knightly Spirits Orange Blossom Trail, 355 ml, bottle date 28-Jan-2017, best before 20-Aug-2017, acquired 15-May-2017, reviewed 24-May-2017)
Appearance: clear pale gold with one fat finger of rocky white head diminishing rapidly to a thin skim, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: grapefruit, pine, biscuity pale malt, earth, garlic, hint of coffee. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: light body, moderate carbonation, crisp lightly bitter finish. (3/5)
“RecreationAle,” huh? What d’ya get when you move up to a stronger brew, “ProfessionAle” or MedicinAle”?. This… is odd. It starts off brightly hoppy, with lots of citrus and pine, but that fades rapidly, leaving behind earth, onion and garlic, and most puzzling of all, a hint of coffee. I first rated the aroma as an 8, but by the time I was done, it was a 4 or 5 – so, split the difference and call it a 6. Everything else was more consistent. It’s not bad, it’s just very, very strange how the hop character changes (dissipates, I guess) so rapidly. This continues to be a slightly tricky style to get right. (13/20)
6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
