Murray’s Brewing ‘Gardenia’ IIPA

Rating:

60913821_1094979504019527_1558755322342932480_n“Murray’s is no stranger to big IPA’s and our latest offering ratchets it up a notch. We’ve got massive citrus and pine aroma from classic US hop varieties that hits you up front. The middle is all malt and warming alcohol, giving way to a firm delivery of bitterness to polish off the experience.”

Glassware: IPA glass.

Appearance: Bright amber with almost full clarity. It builds a thumb of finely beaded foam which persists and decorates the glass on its way down.

Aroma: The American hops jump out of the glass and smack us in the face! Almost Korben-like with its crisp pine, orange peel and mixed citrus. The malt structure is nice and tight…crisp, clean with a hint of mild sweetness. Tropical fruits start to open up as it settles as does a flutter of herbal spice i.e aniseed and basil. Freakin awesome aroma!

Flavour: West Coast IPA eat your heart out! It’s a dead set pine bomb on entry fuelled further by citric bitterness and belly warming booze. She gets real pithy through the mid – almost like biting in to grapefruit rind. Next to no malt balance as it surges in to a super bitter, sharp and citric finish.

Mouthfeel: It’s an absolute palate-wrecker. Can’t find an IBU but it’d surely have to be up around the 80-90 mark. Nice medium build with the 8.5% AbV on show. Co2 is spot on.

Overall: This is a true oldschool West Coast IPA – smells absolutely divine then it goes to town on the palate! We’d have loved to see a bit more malt balance…just to take the heat off some of the insane bitterness. It is what it is and it’s a damn fine IIPA!