Common Crown Brewing Co. Experimental Series X-Batch #002 American IPA at 7% ABV | 75 IBU (C$4.00 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 473 ml, packaged on 3-Oct-2018, acquired 15-Oct-2018, reviewed 17-Oct-2018)
Appearance: clear pale amber with one finger of fluffy ivory head, good retention and moderate clingy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel & biscuity malt, floral, herbal, grass. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (3/5)
Nothing very “experimental” here – just a run-of-the-mill old-fashioned malt-heavy English-leaning IPA, with no “West Coast” character I can identify. I’m not sure where they thought it would come from, actually, with Warrior, Willamette, and Ella hops – the first two of which are bittering hops, and the third typically associated with floral, fruity aromas. This seems to be a matter of slinging a bunch of hops into the boil and hoping the the resulting hop bomb is interesting. I’m sorry to say, it isn’t. It’s pretty, sure, and well structured, with a good hop bitterness, but it’s not breaking any new ground. (13/20)
6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
