8

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

West Coast IPA (this need to be specified now that the New England idiom has basically taken over the IPA world) by a brewery in London with a strong awareness of nature and ecology (describing themselves as 'Earth-friendly'). I like the old West Coast IPAs and I love nature, so I could not let this one pass by... Thick and frothy, plaster-lacing, egg-white, dense and even creamy head, resting atop a hazy (!) apricot blonde beer with ochre-ish tinge. Bright and indeed largely West Coast-reminiscent aroma of lime blossoms and orange orchard, Zespri kiwi, jasmin, wet biscuit, cedar essential oil, fried shallot, sweet paprika powder, pink grapefruit juice, unripe pineapple, hints of diesel, cooked sweet potato, red apple slices, some background caramel. Crisp, clean onset, sweetish-fruity with hints of mandarin, orange, slight guava and a touch of pineapple, fizzily carbonated with minerally effects, smooth and soft, slick but full body yet more tilted to the creaminess of a NEIPA than to the oiliness of a WCIPA; nice medium-thick biscuity maltiness, cereally with a smooth caramelly-sweet edge, soaked in very citrusy hoppiness, reminiscent of mandarins, blood orange and pink grapefruit with still a tropical dash (papaja) thrown in at a certain point. In the end, though, more piney and peppery effects join in and even if sweet-citrusiness remains dominant, there is certainly a nod towards the hazy NEIPA idiom; the bitterness that meanwhile forms, does last for a while, with this oniony side note I do indeed associate with the old WCIPAs which made me fall in love with hop-forward beers a long time ago. In a world dominated by fruity, juicy NEIPAs (or derivatives of it), I am always on the lookout for West Coast IPAs and I know that the Californian breweries that have created them are still active and still able to provide them, but it is quite refreshing that a young English brewery like this manages to capture the general flavour profile of the IPAs of ten to twenty (and longer) years ago. This one may look hazy upon pouring and it admittedly does soften down the sheer bitterness that classic West Coast IPAs offered, but it does successfully convey the overall spirit of the West Coast. There are lots of 'international', 'compromise' IPAs nowadays that hold the middle between the West Coast on the one hand and New England on the other hand, but this is one of very few new IPAs that tilt more to the west than to the east. I applaud that - any beer, in whatever style, will always get a good rating from me if it manages to evoke a feeling of nostalgia. This one does just that, albeit in a somewhat mediated manner - no doubt all those craft beer youngsters will be shocked by how this tastes...

7.5

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7.5

Small, fast gone white head over hazy yellow beer. Fresh fruit, grapes, passion fruit, grapefruit. Bitter, asafoetida, bittered fruitesters. Dry-bitter classical features all-round. Warming up, sweetish oranges' flavour gradually strenghtening.Very slick, but light body, certainly for 7+%. Medium carbonation. Nice WestCoast IPA, even if I'm afraid Californians are used to heavier fireworks.

6.6

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

14/11/2020. Can shared virtually at the lockdown 2.0 beer share. From Beer Garage, Northampton. Pours clear golden with a small frothy white head. Aroma of citrus, orange, mango, pine, straw. Quite sweet, with light bitterness. Medium body, slight oily texture, soft carbonation.

7.5

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

Can at home in Hackney - sourced from Clapton Craft. Pours clear gold with a creamy, white head. Holds moderate sweetness, some oily pine, semi-ripe citrus, juicy orange, pale bread, light bitterness. Medium bodied with fine to average carbonation. Lightly resinous finish, subtle warmth, more sturdy pale malts, juicy citrus fruits, light pine. Very good.

7

Lata @ L'Artesana , Oviedo. 13/09/2020 Color amarillo corona de espuma blanca, aromas cítricos, frutales, sabor cítricos, frutal, cuerpo medio.