Smuttynose Brewing Company – Finestkind IPA

Smuttynose Brewing Company – Finestkind IPA

IPA
BJCP Style: 14B. American IPA
ABV: 6.9%
IBU: 73.5
Bottled
Tasting on: 11/2/14
Glass: Craft Pint

Aroma: Overtones of crisp, citrus hops with dank hop undertones.  9/10

Appearance: Deep straw with yellow hues throughout. Somewhat opaque with a white head. 7/10

Flavor: The beer starts with hop bitterness on a moderate and often overpowered malt background, before the citrus flavors of the hops start to show through in the middle, including some grapefruit notes. The bitterness really ramps up in the end, before it lingers on in the aftertaste. 16/20

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation. No noticeable alcohol. 9/10

Overall Impression: An IPA that relies heavily on bitterness, but does not provide a compelling hop profile and lacks a true malt backbone (which is surprising considering the ABV), causing the flavor to feel unbalanced. That being said, if very high hop bitterness is what you’re after, this beer certainly delivers. 42/50

Final Score: 83%