Phillips Brewing Company Grainbow American IPA at 6.3% ABV (C$3.91 at Collective, 473 ml, best before 2-Feb-2020, acquired 22-Sep-2019, reviewed 25-Sep-2019)
Appearance: hazy unclean medium gold with one fat finger of rocky white head, excellent retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: cereal grains, bready caramel, pine, nuts. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering and building resiny pine finish. (4/5)
Seriously? Eighteen grains, including quinoa, triticale, teff, and freekeh, not to mention six hops? I mean, yeah, I get that you’re going with a theme here, but why didn’t you toss the kitchen sink in there too, while you were at it? But, to be fair, it’s not bad. The muddy appearance presages the muddled aroma, which is cereal-heavy, but not without some interesting hop contribution. The taste is better than the aroma, and the finish is actually quite nice, with a lingering piney bitterness that justifies the “West Coast” appellation. All in all, this thing starts off looking pretty bad, but builds and ends up solid. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
