SIX IPAs of SUMMER

These were six of my favorite IPAs of summer.

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G'Knight, an Imperial Red India Pale Ale by Oskar Blues Brewery.

12 ounce bottle served in a pint glass.

8.7% abv.

The pour is a hazy orange-red body, with an off-white head.

The nose is beery, biscuity, and citrusy.

The tongue is biscuit, butterscotch, candied orange, malts, and the faintest hint of cherry cordials.

It has a medium mouthfeel, but with a "thick bite" to it. Medium finish. The high alcohol content is hidden rather well. This is excellent.

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Bubble Wrap, a Hazy IPA by Crux Fermentation Project.

12 ounce bottle served in a pint glass.

6.2% abv.

The pour is a hazy, buttery yellow body and half-finger-thick white head.

The nose is apricot and tropical fruits.

The tongue is bitter papaya, tangerine, flower petals, and a faint hint of butterscotch. There's also a bit of both lemon and wheat lurking in the background, which become slightly more prominent as it warms.

The mouthfeel and finish are medium. Bitter fruit flavors fade, leaving more butterscotch candy. This IPA also dries a bit on the finish. Out of the six, I think of this ale as the "champagne" of the bunch.

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Slide Tackle, a Hazy IPA by Pelican Brewing. It's also a collaboration with the Portland Thorns FC.

12 ounce bottle served in a pint glass.

6.7% abv.

The pour is like melted butter (hazy gold) with a white head.

The nose is berries and orange.

The tongue is berries, mango, orange, bitter leaves. 

The mouthfeel is medium. The finish is fairly short. This has a fruity essence and is quite enjoyable. It was an excellent beer that accompanied me to a couple of Cannon Beach campfires near Haystack Rock.

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Beak Breaker, a Double IPA by Pelican Brewing.

12 ounce bottle served in a pint glass.

9.0% abv.

The pour is a hazy butter yellow body with a finger-thick white head.

The nose is citrus, both orange and lemon.

The tongue is bitter orange and then some extra bitterness.

The mouthfeel is medium with a long bitter finish. It's bitter goodness and then some. The higher alcohol content is masked.

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IPA, an India Pale Ale by Buoy Beer Company.

12 ounce bottle served in a pint glass.

7.5% abv.

The pour is a translucent golden-orange body and an off-white head.

The nose is bright, citrus, berries.

The tongue is malty, biscuits, bitter orange, and orange peel.

The mouthfeel is medium. The finish is long and bitter and lingers for quite some time. Can you say orange zest? This is a good solid IPA.

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Mel's Magic IPA, an IPA by Iron Horse Brewery.

12 ounce bottle served in a pint glass.

6.8% abv.

The pour is a translucent golden-orange body with a thin white head.

The nose is orange and butterscotch.

The tongue is orange, orange peel, light butterscotch, and bitterness. But it's "baby bear" bitterness: in other words, just right.

The mouthfeel is medium. The finish is medium, with bitter orange diminishing into butterscotch. This is my current "go to" IPA and likely will be for quite some time. Excellent.