Unfiltered India Pale Ale -- Long Trail Brewing Co. (Bridgewater Corners, VT)
WAIT, WAIT, THIS CAN'T BE!!!!
Yes, the Chronicles have finally found an American-made pale ale worth recommending. (Long-time readers may know that the Chronicles have a major aversion to over-hopped ales, particularly those using citrusy hops.) Perhaps the extra yeast, or the fact that it originates in Vermont instead of the West Coast, makes a difference. But I can safely say that Long Trail's Unfiltered IPA has earned a place in my rotation.
Characteristics: Deep gold color, varying from translucent to cloudy (depending on amount of yeast stirred from bottle); medium body, light-to-medium carbonation; tart orange and vanilla flavors at the beginning are moderated by yeast into a grapefruit finish.
Minor Gripes: Since this isn't an English bitter, the hoppy finish is still present and sometimes overwhelming (depending on temperature). And it's unclear (pun intended) whether one is supposed to spin the yeast out of the bottle (like weissbiers) or not. I tried it both ways and preferred the yeasty version.
Bottom Line: Make no mistake, this is an American IPA. But it's a mellow version, eschewing the mega-hop arms race for drinkability and a mellowness that might skew closer to the original IPA (where hops were a preservative, not just an agent for bitterness). And in an age where Sierra Nevada is supposedly on the low end of the IPA spectrum, Long Trail's Unfiltered IPA is nearly unimaginable.
Rating: 6.25 / 10
Yes, the Chronicles have finally found an American-made pale ale worth recommending. (Long-time readers may know that the Chronicles have a major aversion to over-hopped ales, particularly those using citrusy hops.) Perhaps the extra yeast, or the fact that it originates in Vermont instead of the West Coast, makes a difference. But I can safely say that Long Trail's Unfiltered IPA has earned a place in my rotation.
Characteristics: Deep gold color, varying from translucent to cloudy (depending on amount of yeast stirred from bottle); medium body, light-to-medium carbonation; tart orange and vanilla flavors at the beginning are moderated by yeast into a grapefruit finish.
Minor Gripes: Since this isn't an English bitter, the hoppy finish is still present and sometimes overwhelming (depending on temperature). And it's unclear (pun intended) whether one is supposed to spin the yeast out of the bottle (like weissbiers) or not. I tried it both ways and preferred the yeasty version.
Bottom Line: Make no mistake, this is an American IPA. But it's a mellow version, eschewing the mega-hop arms race for drinkability and a mellowness that might skew closer to the original IPA (where hops were a preservative, not just an agent for bitterness). And in an age where Sierra Nevada is supposedly on the low end of the IPA spectrum, Long Trail's Unfiltered IPA is nearly unimaginable.
Rating: 6.25 / 10
Categories:
Ale
Leave a comment