Shipyard Brewing Company Monkey Fist IPA American IPA at 6.9% ABV (Trade – thanks Bayman 4048!, 355 ml, best before 1-Apr-2016, reviewed 5-Feb-2016)
Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber with one fat finger of pillowy ivory head, excellent retention and moderate patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: herbal/floral, citrus zest, resiny pine, caramel malt, earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate-strong bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, dry slightly sticky lingering and building bitter finish. (3/5)
Not bad at all. Stylistically, it sort of bridges old-fashioned Northwest-style American IPA and traditional English IPA. There’s far more bitterness than one usually associates with English IPAs, but the malt is also a strong and rich caramel. Interestingly, that caramel really doesn’t come through on the tongue: the sweetness is initially restrained, and drops off quickly leaving a dry (though still sticky) bitter finish that builds. A bit quirky, sure, but not unpleasant at all. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
