Ninkasi Brewing Company Beer Run American IPA at 7.3% ABV (C$9.79 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 19-Jul-2016, reviewed 20-Jul-2016)
Appearance: clear medium gold with two fingers of rocky off-white head, excellent retention and decent lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pithy grapefruit, pine, pale malt, tropical fruit tones. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, lingering and building bitter finish. (4/5)
Not completely convinced by this one: yes, there’s a fairly big bitter going on – which is definitely to the good – but it seems just a touch unbalanced, or at least not well represented by the aromas. If I had to choose, I’d’ve suggested a bit more dry hopping and a bit less hops in the boil. Not a lot, by any means, but I think a slight tweak of the balance here would be a big improvement. Well, that and hiring an actual graphic artist to do the label, instead of the owner’s 10-year-old child (or maybe 20-year-old mistress-with-pretensions-of-artistry). Yes, it really is that cartoonishly bad. If you don’t want to spend money on your labels, follow De Molen’s lead. Otherwise, step it up like Driftwood did. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
