Russell Brewing Company East Coast IPA American IPA at 6% ABV | 53 IBU (C$4.29 at Oak & Vine, 473 ml, packaged on 4-Jun-2018, acquired 19-Jul-2018, reviewed 19-Jul-2018)
Appearance: cloudy, sediment-filled pale gold with one fat finger of loose white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, moderate lacing. (2/5) Aroma: citrus, pine, doughy malt, melon, dank earth. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky moderate bitter finish. (4/5)
Starts off looking fairly hideous, and although it claws its way up from there, it doesn’t ever fully recover. I can’t quite put my finger on the wrong note in the aroma here: it’s not quite an off-flavour, but it’s not entirely welcome, either – call it a combination of doughy yeast and overripe melon, maybe? It’s also not really completely in-spec for what I’d call an NE-style. It’s got the juiciness going on, sure, but the hop character is more traditional A/IPA, or West Coast IPA, especially with that slight dankness, and a heavier bitterness on the tongue than is desirable for the style. It’s a decent beer, but like so many of Russell’s offerings, it falls somewhat short. (13/20)
6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
