Breakside Brewery What Rough Beast American IPA at 6.8% ABV | 55 IBU (C$10.49 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 18-Nov-2017, reviewed 18-Nov-2017)
Appearance: hazy medium gold with one finger of loose off-white head, good retention and patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grapefruit juice, floral, tropical fruit, caramel malt, resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (4/5)
The fairly literary allusion in the name suggests Breakside’s attitude towards the NEIPA is similar to that of many other breweries – but comparing it to the antichrist might be just slightly extreme… (A cynic might call it sour grapes on the part of those who can’t do the style right.) Though, this is a much closer miss than a lot of attempts I’ve suffered through. The appearance is all wrong, of course (though it gets a bit more juice-like once the lees are poured in), but flavour-wise it’s not too far off the mark: juicy, if slightly more floral than I would consider style-appropriate. (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
