The Sunday afternoon of the Masters is a perfect time to sit back and enjoy a cold one or two. It also presents the perfect opportunity to share what right now is my favorite IPA on the market, Hoptical Illusion. This one comes from Long Island’s Blue Point Brewing Company which is located on the south shore of the island in Patchogue.
I came across this beer at the recent Empire State Tourism conference in Albany, NY. The New York State Brewer’s Association had sponsored the hospitality suite and I had the enviable task of stocking all the beer on ice. This one jumped out of the case at my because of its funky label so after a brief period on ice I cracked on open. Wow…Hoppiness in a bottle is the best way to describe it. If you like hops in your beer, this one will please you. According to the Bluepoint website, this beer contains a rare hop grown on a small farm in Oregon which gives it a unique “citrusy-burst”.
The beer presents a nice hoppy aroma which belies how strong the hops will finish on your pallet, in fact the first taste of the beer has a strong citrus flavor, but the hops kick right in and linger, which of course makes me reach of another sip.
This American Style India Pale Ale clocks in with 6.8% alcohol by volume. It pours a nice golden color with about 2 inches of head on the glass. I enjoyed it with nice Masters snack homemade mesquite chipotle venison snack sticks and cracked black pepper Triscuits. A nice peppery combination that played well off the flavors of the beer.
This beer, unlike my two previous reviews, is widely available in the northeast so check with your favorite craft brew store and pick up a six pack this coming weekend.
Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment