“Plenty of IPAs will promise you the moon and the stars, looking to seduce you with words of smashing bitterness and hops everlasting. Actually, we’re not here to “blow you away with a lupulin cannon,” or “peel the enamel off your teeth.” East IPA is a clean, drinkable IPA that’s packed with flavor and offers a bold balance, not a smack in the head.”
Served in an IPA glass. The appearance offers an attractive amber tone with a short white head forming on top. Retention is fair but it gradually scaled back to a collar with some scattered patches of lace trailing it down.
Fairly nondescript aroma – more malt driven with earthy hops and a soft floral bouquet. Certainly comes off as more of a traditional English style IPA that omits the in-your-face hops that their West coast cousins have become so synonymous with. We still get a subtle hint of tangy citrus, pine and stone fruits but the malts always seem to trump with its sweet, buttery and caramel notes. Not bad.
Good feel in the mouth. It’s not overly bitter (47 IBU) with a lively Co2. Pretty smooth and creamy in texture. Moderate body.
More of the same in flavour. Beginning with some tangy citrus hops and muted fruits and florals that become enveloped by the sweet buttery malts. A steady bitterness is introduced late in the mid and lays a platform for the dry and bitter finish to present light spicy notes and grassy hops on the rear.
We’ve definitely grown to respect this style over the years and this particular drop from Brooklyn Brewery would be a good gateway beer from the highly hopped Cali IPA to the more malty East coast/English variety. Nothing memorable but a decent drop all the same.