first taste Fresh Hop IPA

Last Friday, after a brutally disheartening commute, I came home, cooked up some steaks, had a couple of Martinis, and decided that now was the time to try my first fresh Hop IPA.

My first impression: sweet. Not sweet as in sweet, this turned out awesome, but sweet as in it hasn't fully carbonated sweet. Don't get me wrong the head on the beer was very nice for a two-week-old beer, hell even for a fully conditioned beer it was admirable. The color was beautiful, golden brown like toast, the smell was amazing, just a little hot, perhaps not as aromatic or citrusy as I would ahve liked, plenty bitter, but the taste, especially the first sip, was malty.

Once the beer warmed up (and the beer had a chance to shake hands and get acquainted with the two martinis), it really started to shine. It was nicely bitter, and the sweetness revealed itself to be a warming boozy flavor, not unlike what you would expect to find in a winter warmer. I can't say that the overall impression screams IPA, but I could perhaps fake my way into suggesting that it's a holiday ale, or even perhaps a young barleywine. I'll have to give it a second (or third or fourth)shot over Thanksgiving to see how it shapes up.