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My kids have vacation bible school this week, and it’s the one chance during the summer that my wife and I get to go out for a few decent meals. We decided to hit a fairly new place in town – Anju Above/Rustic Pizza – which I’d heard good things about. They had a decent craft beer tap and bottle list, and when I heard the name of this beer, I simply had to go with it!
Location: On tap and served in a small goblet at Anju Above/Rustic Pizza in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 8.5% ABV, ~260 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It’s dark copper-orange in color and somewhat hazy. There’s a decent sized, foamy, off-white head on it, which had great retention and lacing. The aroma is earthy and piney with some grapefruity hops in the background.
Taste & Feel: The body is medium and the mouthfeel is smooth and a bit creamy from the head. The flavor up front is a bit caramel maltiness and piney hop flavor sweetness. In the middle, the hop flavors step forward and become a bit more complex, with some earthy and citrusy flavors in the mix. The bitterness came through in the finish, with mostly pine and citrus hop flavors and bitterness that also lasted for a minute or two in the aftertaste.
Food Pairing: I had this with a stone oven style pizza, with mushrooms, onions, and green pepers, and the flavors went well together. The hop flavors and bitterness were called by the crispy, but bready crust, and mixed nicely with the veggies. I think it would also pair nicely with a burger or other hearty meal.
Overall Impression: I guess by the name, it is supposed to smell like weed, but all I could pick out was the mix of earthy, piney, and citrusy hops. The combination was a bit dank, but it mixed well with the caramel maltiness in the background. I enjoyed the complexity of hop flavors and bitterness, but it did have some strong flavors that could easily overwhelm lighter foods. Overall, it was a good, flavorful IPA.
My Rating: 
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