As I mentioned in my last post, we are spending spring break in a condo in Indian Shores, Florida. When we got here, I picked up a bunch of local craft beers to try, mostly IPAs. I haven’t heard of this brewery or this beer, but since it was based in nearby Bradenton, FL, I thought I’d give it a try. Today we’re just relaxing on the beach, so I thought I’d sip this and do this review while soaking up the sun.
Location: While I enjoyed this one out of the can on the beach, I did pour one into a glass at our condo in Indian Shores, Florida so I could review this.
Numbers: 6.9% ABV, 85 IBUs, 16 OG, 4 FG, 5.7 SRM, ~240 Calories
Ingredients: Malts: 2 Row Pale, Wheat, Pilsen, Carapils; Hops: Chinook, Amarillo, Citra; Dry Hop: Otra
Appearance & Aroma: It’s a bright pale gold in color and fairly hazy. It has a bright white rocky head on it and a lightly citrusy-piney hop aroma and a bready, lightly caramel malt smell.
Taste & Feel: The body is light-medium and the mouthfeel is lightly crisp from the carbonation and hops. Up front, it had a light caramel malty sweetness along with a light citrus-pine hop flavor behind it. The hop bitterness picks up a bit in the middle, but it only rises above the malt backbone slightly. The finish is light and clean with a good balance of the piney-citrusy hops and bready-caramel maltiness. The hop flavors and bitterness fade within a minute or so in the aftertaste.
Food Pairing: Given the good balance of hops and malt, I would love to pair this beer with a cheeseburger. The bready-caramel maltiness would mix perfectly with the bun, and the piney-citrusy hops countering the cheese and savory flavors.
Overall Impression: This was a great IPA for a day at the beach, as it was more subdued than huge, smack-you-in-the-face IPAs that are overly bitter or hoppy. This one had lighter flavors and it was very easy drinking, and I’d probably guess it was actually a pale ale, except that it has the 6.9% ABV which pushes it into the IPA range. Sitting in the heat of the midday sun, I really appreciated the light, clean, crispness of this beer. I’d definitely reach for this IPA again for a day at the beach or out on the boat.
My Rating: 
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