It should be well known by now I’m quite the fan of India Pale Ales. On my journey I’m now coming across the Indica, an IPA, from Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe out of California. In comparison with some others I’ve encountered, this ABV is on the lower end of the scale at 6.5% ABV, but the flavor profile makes this one shine.

The miniature and stubby looking 12 oz bottle poured with a nice one finger rich, off-white head into my tulip glass. The color was reminiscent of the typical IPA look, golden-orange with some brown and amber hues. The flavor profile was immense and the tulip glass really helped enhance some of the volatiles.

One sniff gives you an amazingly tart scent. The nose was dominant with a sharp and tart white grapefruit. The sugar esters stood out as well, and some cherry, much like the Kasteel Rogue, made it’s way in, too. Though, this was easily cut by the bittering hops in the beer, which I was expecting (and hoping) would come through.

A medium to full-bodied mouthful was evident and balanced really nicely with moderate transition of carbonation. Dominating the mouth was a dry and bitter bite from the hops. This lead in the cherry sweetness to give it a nice, well-rounded balance. The finish lingered with some bready and biscuity malts that stuck around well into the next sip.

An amazing balance in the flavor profile leads the Indica into a great spot to claim itself as a solid, all-around IPA. The sweet bite was unexpected to a degree, but much appreciated. I was expecting more of a grapefruit flavor, which I normally get with most IPAs, but I was glad this surprised me and had more of a cherry sweetness than anything. While the sweetness by no means dominates the taste (you still get that solid, hoppy, IPA-taste), it’s a fulfilling addition.

Overall: 9.1/10