Howe Sound Brewing Hopraiser – American IPA at 6.0% ABV | 50 IBU (C$3.60 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 4-Aug-2020, reviewed 12-Aug-2020)
Appearance: clear pale amber with two fat fingers of dense pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy chunky lacing. (5/5) Aroma: resiny pine, caramel, citrus. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)
Solid West Coast-style IPA, albeit a little old-fashioned: the malty caramel isn’t dominant, but it’s at the forefront, and the citrus is definitely bringing up the rear. I’d like to see a bunch of little tweaks: if it were brighter, dryer, crisper, and some hop-derived tropical fruit notes, you’d really have something. That, and with a bit more sticky-icky in the pine notes. Yes, I know that sounds like I’m criticizing everything, but that’s really not my intent – it’s quite pleasant as-is, but definitely has room for improvement. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
