Bent Stick Brewing Co. The Crusher Lean and Mean ISA Session IPA at 4.5% ABV (C$7.60 at Sherbrooke Liquor, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 17-Dec-2016, reviewed 18-Dec-2016)
Appearance: hazy deep gold with a massive and growing three fingers of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and chunky patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: muted, caramel, citrus, grassy/herbal. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body tending watery, lively to soft carbonation, short mild bitter finish. (3/5)
I thought it was going to be “The Gusher” when I heard the explosive decapping, but caught it all (although the massive head continued to grow for quite some time). That pillowy head in turn seems to have muted the aromas dramatically. What little aroma there is, is dominated in equal parts by caramel and citrus notes, with a faint herbal or grassy in the finish. The already somewhat light body drops off fairly rapidly to a watery, unimpressive finish, while the initially frothy carbonation diminishes quickly to soft and almost flat. It’s not a bad beer, as such, but it’s almost the perfect poster child for how not to do an ISA. (12/20)
6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
