982. 4 Hands Brewing – Incarnation IPA

982. 4 Hands Brewing - Incarnation IPAIt’s been nearly a year since I’ve taken some time to sit down a taste a beer and write my perceptions of it. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m getting so close to 1,000 beers or because I’ve learned that I’d rather drink the beer than sit and do a critique of it. With the holidays here, I’m hoping to reach the 1,000 mark soon.

I picked up this beer about a month ago, when I went back to Mizzou for the football game against Oklahoma. After an incredible ending to the game, I headed home with several leftover 4 Hands IPAs we bought for tailgating.

Location: Poured into a Teku style pint glass at my home in Bloomington, IL

Numbers: 7% ABV, 65 IBUs, ~290 Calories

Appearance & Aroma: It’s slightly hazy and golden in color, with a bit of an orange hue. The bright white, creamy head has a slightly soapy-like consistency and fell to a ring around the edge of the glass after several minutes. The aroma was a bright piney-grassy hoppiness.

Taste & Feel: It’s got a light body, bordering on light-medium, but still lighter than I’d expect for a 7% ABV brew. The mouthfeel is mostly crisp with a hint of hop oiliness. The flavor up front is lightly hoppy with a piney hop flavor. In the middle the hoppiness fades, but it comes back even stronger in the finish. The finish has a growing piney-resinous bitterness that fades slowly in the aftertaste.

Food Pairing: The piney-resin bitterness would be a good pairing for a flavorful savory and cheesy meal. I like this kind of hop flavor with a cheeseburger or a pizza. The bitterness is also a good match or hot wings or another spicy dish.

Overall Impression: This is a straightforward IPA that’s very drinkable. It starts very light and finishes with a good amount of piney and resinous bitterness. I really enjoyed this when we were tailgating because of its nice combination of drinkability and flavorful finish. This is definitely an IPA I’ll keep on my mental list of solid brews.

My Rating: ★★★★☆

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Author: kkozlen

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