Sunday Road ‘Skinny Dip’ West Coast IPA

Rating:

“Skinny dipping = freedom. We’ve taken inspiration from this most basic of pleasures and jumped right into a different technique to fill you up with hoppy goodness. We’ve used a new technique in this West Coast IPA called DIP-hopping that adds an additional stage between the whirlpool and the conventional dry-hop addition. We’ve done this to keep myrcene levels low and let the best parts of hops shine through.”

Glassware: IPA.

Appearance: Pours a deep amber with full transparency. It forms a finger of off white head which retains well. Brilliant cascading lace is left in its wake.

Aroma: Quite a hefty malt backbone to it…not surprised considering the depth of colour. Mostly sweet and a little toasty with dominant caramel, dark honey, buttery biscuits and toast. The hops cut through the malts beautifully too – sharp pine needle, mildly dank resins, tree sap, old herbs/vines, ruby grapefruit, orange peel and mixed tropical fruits. Getting a subtle candied accent to it as well. Keep it coming!

Flavour: It transitions well and the balance is spot on too. From the start to the finish there’s a constant tussle between the sweet and toasty malts (burnt caramel, toffee, honey on toast, biscuits) and the Pacific Northwest hops (pine, shallot, ruby grapefruit, citrus rind, slightly dank herbals and resins). Nice aggressive bitterness, some warmth and citric acidity to finish.

Mouthfeel: Sticky and smooth then dry and a little soapy in the swallow. Assertive bitterness, medium body, mild-moderate Co2. 7.2% ABV is bang on where it should be.

Overall: Sunday Road are fast becoming one of our go-to breweries for West Coast IPA’s. Blackwoods APA, 6 Foot & Offshore and now this. All of them are perfectly balanced and big on aroma and flavour. Really digging these guys at the moment.