Town Square Brewing Gigawatt – American IPA at 7.5% ABV (C$4.80 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 14-May-2020, reviewed 21-May-2020)
Appearance: hazy straw with two fat fingers of fluffy white head, excellent retention and spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pineapple, stone fruit, red berries, crackery pale malt, citrus, light pine. (9/10) Taste: moderate bitter, moderate sweet. (9/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter lightly spicy warming finish. (4/5)
The label notes say this is hopped with BRU-1, Ariana, and Mosaic, and I heartily approve of that blend. It’s not a thousand times better than its little brother Megawatt, which was the first one I had by this brewery, but it certainly is better – and that’s no mean feat. (That one was hopped with Citra and El Dorado, which at the time I described as perennial favourites of mine, but the standard moves on, doesn’t it? I’ll take Mosaic over either of those any day, and I’m fast learning to love BRU-1 in particular.) This is a helluva beer, starting with a lovely juicy fruit presence that never gets excessively sweet or cloying, in large part due to the resiny pine note that builds to keep things balanced, and finishing with a mild hop spice and alcohol warming note. Can we hold out hope for a “Terawatt” DDH DIPA? (17/20)
8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
