Things at work have been pretty depressing lately, so when I got home, I thought I’d crack open a beer. My sister brought me several beers from St. Louis when she came to visit, so I thought I’d open one of them – especially the IPAs which tend to fade over time. I liked the label, so I thought I’d try this one first.
Location: Poured into a pint glass at my home in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 7.6% ABV, 62 IBUs, ~240 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It’s golden-orange in color and is a little hazy. The head is thin, but dense, with a creamy texture that left nice lacing. The aroma is mostly citrusy hoppiness with some pine resins as well.
Taste & Feel: The body is medium and the mouthfeel is somewhat creamy. The flavor up front is a citrusy hoppiness with some spicy earthiness behind it. In the middle, it gets juicier with the hoppiness with a little bit of maltiness coming through. The bitterness came up in the finish, but it was mostly hop flavors that came through. However, in the aftertaste, it was the bitterness that linged for a bit.
Food Pairing: I enjoyed the hop flavors in this beer, with some citrusy and earthiness mixed with a little bit of maltiness. I love to pair these sorts of flavors with something like a cheeseburger or pizza.
Overall Impression: I liked all of the hop flavor this beer had, as the hop flavors were highlighted moreso than the bitterness. I liked the citrusy juiciness mixed with the spicy earthiness, and really liked that the solid malt backbone came through a bit. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good IPA, and I’m looking forward to more of the 2nd Shift beers my sister brought me.
My Rating: 
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