Smuttynose "Finestkind" IPA

I have been an awful blogger lately... I have to admit. I have been "researching," but a lot of scribbles on napkins and receipt backs have been lost in the shuffle of an international move and a few few-too-many-nights. This, unfortunately, has left me without decent writing material. Now that my life has settled down and I have settled in a bit more, I anticipate being able to keep up more with this blog stuff!

Now that I am back in Wisconsin, a land that loves good beer, I have a great selection of beer and a lot of cool places to drink it! Tonight, I feature Smuttynose IPA brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Co. I should have gone for a Wisconsin local, but the cute label lured me in...

I got home from Miller's Liquor on Old University (my favorite because they allow you to build your own 6 pack) excited to try one of my six new beers! Upon seeing that Smuttynose was an IPA, my first thoughts were, this better not disappoint me! I just so happen to love most IPAs, but with that, comes a decent amount of scrutiny.

I microwaved some leftovers and poured myself a glass. It was a cloudy amber color with a moderate amount of head. Neither the head nor the cloudiness lasted long, but the head did leave a decent lace as it receded.

As I put the glass to my mouth, a very hoppy, citrus aroma predominated... this is not uncommon. However, I sensed a slight kick potentially lurking that is not present in all IPAs.

The first sip was quite flavorful, but it got better after that! The peak of this flavor arrives about 3/4 of the way through the sip. It literally floods your mouth and really does not die off until well after you have swallowed. It goes without saying that this flavor must be quite hoppy... it is an IPA, and like I sensed from that first sniff there is a bit of a kick that some IPAs lack. There is a slightly bitter finish, but there is not an unpleasant aftertaste. Moreover, the overwhelming deliciousness that exists when it is in your mouth makes up for everything else. Personally, I kind of like the final bitterness, because it leaves you wanting another sip.

Along that same vein, I would consider this beer to be both sipable and gulpable. As I was enjoying my reheated Jambalaya*, I found myself wanting to drink this in really large gulps. I had to stop myself, because I really wanted to experience it and be able to describe it. The hardest part was that I kept aching for that awesome flavor burst that so entirely fills your mouth! The best sip of the night was the last. This is a dry-hopped, unfiltered beer which means it has a lot of sediment (lees). (This, of course, may not be popular among the crisp, clean, light beer drinking folk.)

Smuttynose IPA is one of the best IPAs... no wait, BEERS that I have tried in a long time! If you like IPAs, you are sure to enjoy this one! If you like beer, I, at least, recommend that you try this one. I can really find nothing wrong with it!

Let's see what Smuttynose has to say about itself and its IPA.

- brewed in the historic seaport city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire
- "Finestkind" IPA is one of 10 beers, including four seasonals
- won the best American beer 2004 Great British Beer Festival
- a tribute to the American hop grower (and lover)
- the grapefruit hop flavor comes from Simcoe and Santiams
- the bitterness comes from Amarillo hops
- light bodied and crisp
- slightly hazy golden color
- 65 IBUs
- 6.8% ABV

Apparently this has become popular enough that the brewery has even received some fanmail poetry! Check this out! (Scroll down about half way.)

* I am not an expert when it comes to pairing cuisine with beer. Jambalaya = good! Smuttynose IPA = great! The combination = fine by me, but try at your own risk!