Ribstone Creek Brewery Great White Combine White IPA at 5.6% ABV (C$2.50 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 355 ml, bottle date 27-Jun-2016, acquired 19-Jul-2016, reviewed 22-Jul-2016)
Appearance: hazy deep gold with one finger of rocky ivory head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: clove/coriander, white pepper, citrus, pine, wheat. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild pepper. (8/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, mild bitter and spicy finish. (4/5)
The usual suspects call this an American IPA, but I beg to differ. It’s definitely a White IPA, or a Belgian-style IPA if you want to be old-school about it, but that’s not much more accurate than the A/IPA designation. Ultimately, this is a great example of why BJCP formally added White IPA as a style as of 2015: it really does marry two very disparate styles to create something entirely new. The aromas are definitely dominated by a Witbier-like pepper and coriander, whether actual spice and/or Belgian yeast, but that’s quickly followed by a citrus and pine hoppiness that wouldn’t normally be present in a wit. Nope, this is its own beast, similar to how the Black IPA is, but I think I prefer this style – and the is a good example of that style. Ribstone Creek has really hit this one out of the park. (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
