“An accessible yet powerful IPA, Aragon is a warrior of a beer with a smooth, subtle punch. Rich golden colour with bold apricot, melons, ripe citrus and a balanced bitter finish. Dry hopped to add citrusy zest. The perfect beer for a summer’s afternoon, yet just as enjoyable all year around.”
Served in an IPA glass. It pours a cloudy amber orange complexion with a two finger cap forming on top. Nice head retention as it very slowly peels off but maintains a thick overlay as we imbibe. Some healthy lace being seen here. She’s quite a sweet number this one, we’re picking up this somewhat crystallized sugary sweetness initially. An attractive hop bill of Centennial, Chinook, Summer and Mosaic impart hallmark scents of tropical fruits, citrus and stone fruit, albeit conservatively. Subtle pine resins and spice do manage to creep in too but mention has to be made to the chewy caramel malt backing. Lovely balance on the nose. In the mouth it has a dry overall texture that’s held up by a good weight in the body. The malts add a really slick feel with the 60 IBU taking a rare back seat. Good Co2, well masked 6.3% ABV. Surprisingly impressive. We actually get more malt over hops on entry. A slightly delayed bitterness develops as hints of pine and citrus come through across the mid. The bitterness crescendos as more citrus and stone fruit lead in to the dry and bitter finish. It’s an interesting IPA this one. Despite the hop bill it’s actually quite malty in flavour. Although the delayed bitterness would have you think otherwise as it cuts through the mid palate. We liked it, its unique character, strip and feel of the beer pulls you in. Not a bad drop from a relatively unknown little gypsy brewer.