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As is becoming the norm, things are crazy busy. School is underway, and the kids are involved in cross country, soccer, and theater. I’m changing jobs starting next week, and we’re getting ready to head to Disney next week. Additionally, we just had a Pirate murder mystery party this past weekend. Fortunately, my friend Steve brought some beers to the party, including this one from Industry Brewing Co. in Peoria, IL (because it has a skeleton on the can). It’s a New England Style APA – the cloudy tropical IPA that’s all the rage right now. The can says, “Too many of this beer on a weekday night and you might not be showing up to work the next day. But even if you feel like the dead, give your boss a call. You can blame it all on the juicy hop aroma and flavor with the perfect touch of bitterness, and can we talk about that body? I mean, it’s a little hazy, but it sure was full.”
Location: Poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass from the 16oz can at my home in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 5.5% ABV, 45 IBUs, ~180 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It’s a pale straw yellow color and is pretty hazy. It had a pretty rocky, bright white head, that left a decent amount of lacing on the glass and fell after a few minutes to a thin layer across the top. It has a lemony-citrus aroma with a bit of a bright, fresh-cut grass smell.
Taste & Feel: The body is full, and the mouthfeel is smooth and slightly oily from the hops. The flavor up front is citrusy lemony-orange flavor that’s slightly sweet, with a yeasty flavor underneath. In the middle, a tropical, lemon-forward bitterness comes on strong. The lemony-tropical bitterness sustains itself through the finish, with a grassy-floral hop bitterness and light flavor open it up a little. The tropical-lemony bitterness lasts for a couple minutes in the aftertaste.
Food Pairing: Because of the lemony flavors in this beer, I’d probably pair it with a summer salad or fish tacos on a hot day. I think it could also make a nice pairing with a spicy pad Thai or other Asian foods.
Overall Impression: I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s something about the lemon-forward, grassy bitterness that doesn’t sit right with my palate. Although the website says this beer is only 45 IBU, that seems pretty low based on the taste and sharpness. Overall, it’s the hop bitterness and flavors they impart that I’m not a fan of, but there’s also a yeast flavor underneath that almost has a lightly oxidized cardboard box flavor. I know this is a bit of a fad beer, so I’m going to reserve judgment on this new brewery until I can get over to Peoria and try a few more of their beers.
My Rating: 
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