Independence Brewing Co. Stash IPA American IPA at 7% ABV (US$2.73 at Specs Main Branch, 355 ml, bottle date 7-Jan-2016, reviewed 24-Jan-2016)
Appearance: hazy pale gold with a short ivory head, good retention and well-defined lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, citrus, pale malt, dank, onion. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (3/5)
I was sort of expecting brighter hops for something so fresh. The aromas also don’t really seem to communicate the true bitterness of this thing – it doesn’t smell anywhere near as massively bitter as it ends up being on the tongue. The dankness (“stash”, geddit?) starts to come through a bit more as it warms, but so does the onion, so that’s a little bit of a double-edged sword. Ultimately, though, it’s an impressively easy drinking beast for 7% and 100IBU. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
