Monday, June 27, 2011

Bitter Woman IPA - Tyranena Brewing Company


Vitals:

Name: Bitter Woman IPA
Style: American IPA
IBU: ??
ABV: 5.75%
Gravity: ??
Purchased at: Trixie's Liquor

Descriptions:

Appearance: Pours a deep orange with about a finger of off-white head. Looks to be moderately carbonated. Excellent lacing makes up for a bit of a lack of retention. Patchy cap on the beer after the head dissipates. 

Smell: Not much to speak of here, which is surprising for an IPA. I get some biscuit malt and earthy hops, but that's about it. The malt wins over the hop smell though, also surprising. Not sure I like that...check that, I dislike it. Not impressed so far.

Taste: I will start by saying that this beer is well-balanced and the malts blend right into the hoppiness. It's a smooth transition whereas a lot of IPAs have a noticeable "bite." Orange up front and some sweet malts. The hops are earthy, maybe piney, and some citrus. There are some other citrus flavors but I'm not completely sure what they are (I think lemon). The beer is aptly named, but doesn't leave you with overwhelming bitterness. The taste is not fantastic by any means, but I completely appreciate how the elements flow together so well.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, with somewhat noticeable carbonation. It has a nice level of resin-y feel to it, but not too much. Prickles your tongue a bit. Nothing spectacular here except the moderate level of resin.

Overall Grade: B-

Comments: So, there are a few things worth noting here. 1.) This beer is a victim of its style - it just simply isn't as good as a lot of other IPAs out there. 2.) I strongly considered giving this beer a C+, but the taste experience (not the flavor, mind you) pushed it to a B-. 3.) This tastes like a really hopped up amber more than an IPA. I've had so many good IPAs up here I can't justify a higher grade for this one.

Cheers,
Hurls

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