The White Hawk has a golden orange color with some quickly dissipating head and a some good sticky lacing. The aromas are lighter than expected for an IPA but contain all of the required IPA elements. Piney hops, a bit of earthiness, hints of citrus and a little spice. Certainly a lot to be desired on the nose, either stronger aromas or a bit of inventiveness and variation.

Bitter hops come first on the palate, with the pine from the aroma showing a little more strongly here. There’s plenty of balance as the hops don’t overwhelm the malt allowing the citrus and sweet malt to play nicely together. For only having a 7% ABV there is a good hint of alcohol, more than expected, as it isn’t contained well. The finish is crisp and it is a nice full mouth feel with the right amount of carbonation.

Balance in an IPA is a good thing, but I feel that the hops do need to shine through a bit more and in the White Hawk – they do not. There wasn’t a lot of creativeness in this beer, and it felt pretty bland. From the flat aroma to the lackluster flavors, I was left wanting more. This is a sessionable IPA if you can get around the alcohol hints, but there are some better options. Overall this beer was enjoyable, but flat and uninteresting.

Rating

74
out of 100

The Estate Homegrown Ale comes in a 750 ml bottle with a waxed cap. After prying it open and pouring the beer it comes out with a great orange/brown colored body that is slightly hazy. An inch and a half of head sits atop the beer and leaves some decent lacing on the glass. The aroma is very light consisting of some pine and citrus, along with minor malts in the background.

A bold bitterness is up front on the first taste with hints of pine and grapefruit from the hops. It has an earthy overall appeal with a good balance of malt bringing some caramel into the mix. It certainly isn’t sweet as there are plenty of hops, but it could be a little more citrusy as the pine elements and bitterness dry things out. The mouth feel is on the creamy side and decently filling. Some lingering bitterness is on the back end, but it’s clean on the finish.

The Estate is another solid beer from Sierra Nevada. There’s a good balance and depth of flavor while still being approachable. As somebody who enjoys hops there was plenty there, and the malt elements added nicely to the flavor profile. I do think that more citrus would have helped liven things up a bit, as well as a more upfront aroma.

Rating

85
out of 100

Out of the bottle, Northern Hemisphere Harvest has a great deep copper color with a large off-white head. There is plenty of lacing on the glass, even as the head begins to fade. Not surprisingly the aroma is full of hops with some great floral aromas. There are also great citrus elements that are backed by some pine aromas. There is the slightest hint of malt, but don’t be fooled, this beer is all about the hops.

Given the nose, the flavors on the Harvest could go one of two ways: hoppy yet balanced, or so bitter it kills everything else. Thankfully Sierra Nevada kept the hops in check a bit and created a well balanced beer. Some bitter hops and pine elements come first followed by the same citrus notes from the aroma. The hops are balanced against some caramel malt, while the finish is hoppy and bitter, but crisp. The mouth feel is nice and full, smooth with some oil from the hops.

For a hop-centric beer this is spot on and I thoroughly enjoyed the Harvest. There were plenty of hop elements that were kept front and center but the beer isn’t killed by bitterness. The malt works well to keep things balanced, but may mask some elements. Although, there could have been a little more complexity with some other hop additions. Given that, I still like this beer and would recommend it.

Rating

88
out of 100

Out of its 22 ounce bottle, the Oak Aged Hatter has a golden copper color that has little to no cloudiness. There is a small off white head that provides some lacing on the glass. The aromas are light, but pleasant. Wood notes come first and strongest, naturally with plenty of oak to be found. There is some citrus in the middle followed by a small amount of booze. I would have liked to see more of the IPA elements on the nose as they were hard to come by.

Oak comes through first again on the palate and plays throughout the flavor profile. Grapefruit and other citrus hops flavors come through next, followed by a pleasant sweet malt flavor. Some hints of vanilla and honey are in the back palate. There isn’t too much of a hop bite, and it seems a bit weak. The mouth feel is thin to medium with enough carbonation to keep things lively.

Expecting the Oak Aged Hatter to have all the elements of the Mad Hatter, but with oak, was probably wrong. The IPA qualities are muted in favor of the oak. This is a good and bad thing – good because it is interesting and provides a nice change, but bad because a hop head may want more IPA elements. Certainly an interesting play on a good IPA, but lacking qualities you’d expect in the style.

Rating

84
out of 100

The Ryediculous has a cloudy apple cider color – not quite tan, not quite brown. A finger of just off-white head sits atop the beer and leaves some great lacing on the glass. The aromas are earthy with a tiny touch of citrus, and some hop spices. The rye adds a nice element that plays well throughout.

A lot of bitterness comes across on the first taste, but things mellow out over time. Some citrus is here as well with a certain grassyness from the hops. There is a touch of caramel malt trying to bring things back into balance. A good sweetness is at the end but then the bitterness comes back and lingers for a while. Good amounts of carbonation are present and the medium-bodied mouth feel certainly aid this beer.

In terms of Rye/IPA hybrids there are better options out there, but I did like many elements in this beer. The bitterness was a bit much but it works at the beginning; however, the ending bitterness needs to be cleaned up. The rye is a nice addition but I feel the overall bitterness may scare many away.

Rating

82
out of 100

Poured into a 12 ounce snifter glass, the Mango IPA is traditional in appearance; light copper colored clear body. A slightly off-white, perhaps even white, head forms and leaves nothing other than a thin ring around the edges. There is some lace, but it’s sporadic and rather weak. The aromas are clearly mango-forward with tons of juicy mangoes, citrus fruits, orange oils and ginger to start. A grainy malt backbone shows up towards the end of the nose but the citrusy hops and mango notes are the focus.

Mangoes show up in full force in the taste, controlling the palate with West Coast style citrus hops and flavors. It’s creamy, prickly and certainly medium-bodied – just what I look for in the style. The bitterness here is quite moderate though noticeable. Mango, pineapple and a touch of orange all come through and last into the finish, which is a touch dry but fruity. I really feel like this beer has an incredible balance of hops and fruit to strike a very unique flavor profile.

This is one IPA that is certainly fruit-forward and not just because of the hops. If you’re a fan of mangoes, this is one you must try. And even for those who don’t necessarily care for IPAs in general, the fruitiness of this beer helps take off that bitter edge. If this ever gets bottled, it would become a staple in my fridge.

Rating

94
out of 100

When poured into a pint glass the beer has a orange/brown colored body with little to no haze. There is a good size fluffy, off-white head on top of the beer. The head dissipates to a disc but leaves some impressive lacing on the glass. The aromas have a good citrus mix with grapefruit, lemon, and orange peel coming through. There is also some malt sweetness that adds a nice touch.

While the Hop Ottin’ does split between complex and simplistic it doesn’t hold back on the hops. The hops lead with the same citrus from the nose, but with a good bitter kick. There are also some additional pine notes with a bit of spice. This is all backed up, and balanced by, some malt sweetness. Without the strong malt this would be a hop bomb of a beer but with the malt it really shines. The finish is a little dry and slightly bitter; however. mouth feel is spot on – nicely filling and smooth.

The balance in the Hop Ottin’ is certainly to be commended, but inside that balance are good hop notes that are sure to satisfy any hop head out there. Some adjustment could be done on the finish – I felt it can be a bit too dry. This beer is just as I remembered it when I bought that first case. A good, balanced IPA for all to enjoy.

Overall

91
out of 100

Poured into a standard pint glass, the body displays its cloudy, amber looking color complete with a frothy and bubbly white head. The dissipation was rather slow and did leave behind a nice retention cap but not too much lacing. Aromas of juicy orange citrus blend with a fruity and floral hop spice. It seems to be very grounded in East Coast hops and the bottle text boasts that the ingredients are from fresh local farms.

One sip of this beer and I was instantly a fan. The flavor profile started off with a solid base in a sweet caramel malt, and then brings some very piney, sappy and earthy hop bitterness along. Citrus accents (mango and pineapple) are present mid-palate and well into the finish. There’s a slight hop bite that carriers on into the linger, with just a hint of dryness.

Sisters of the Moon is, in my opinion, a great example of an American IPA. There’s a slight sweetness to it that helps break up what could have been an overly hoppy profile. That’s not to say the hops aren’t focused or demonstrated here, because that’s far from the truth.

Rating

90
out of 100

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass, the beer has a dark copper color — a bit darker than expected for an IPA. A light tan head leaves behind some great lacing on the glass. Eventually the head dissipates to a small ring about half way through. Aromas of pine hops with a sweet malt backbone are mixed with a good hop spice. This is a little more fruity on the nose, but it works well with the hops.

At first I was expecting a more hop forward taste but given the malt and fruit on the nose I didn’t know what to expect. Grassy hops mixed with malt sweetness greet you up front. This is followed by a little bit of a spice kick and then some citrus rind. The finish is crisp, and overall the beer doesn’t have a bitter hop bite. At 6.8% ABV there is almost no hint of alcohol. The beer is also nicely carbonated and medium bodied.

Is the Lake Placid IPA a beer for the hop head? Probably not. Is it a decent IPA with some good malt notes? Yes. While I truly enjoy an IPA that hits you over the head with hops, I do on occasion enjoy a more restrained beer. The hop/malt mix works well in this beer. I think that if the hops were turned up just a bit there would be more flavor variation, but otherwise it’s a little flat. It’s a decent, sessionable and easy drinking IPA to be sure.

Rating

84
out of 100

The Punk IPA pours a hazy pale yellow color that has some slight orange hues in direct light. Accompanying the body is a nice bubbly white head, that left behind some very mild lacing and retention. Unfortunately, the nose is dull and weak in its volatiles. I usually enjoy it when my IPAs scream at me with the bitterness of delicious hops, instead, this one had pleasant pine notes and light floral aroma. I had to push myself to really try and pick up some of the citrus elements in this IPA.

The taste was similar to the aroma – tame. It was clean and crisp, thanks in part to the bubbly carbonation. The piney aroma shined through on the taste which then transitioned smoothly into the floral elements of the flavor profile. The finish left me a bit disappointed with hopes of more of a strong hop bite.

Overall, I think the Punk IPA is a decent attempt at an American IPA. As previously stated, I did have higher expectations, but it’s still a very drinkable IPA that is pretty close to the style. If you are looking for a refreshing IPA to enjoy during the summer, the Punk IPA would be a solid choice. But, if you are looking for the kick-in-the-pants hoppiness, keep looking.

Rating

85
out of 100