Mid/West Coast IPA Tasting

This is the second time I brewed this. The first one disappeared. I'm already down to my second keg of this batch. I also took it to a tasting party last night and it seemed to have really broad appeal. Even those who don't like IPAs because they're "too hoppy," enjoyed it and said they would drink it. A dedicated Guiness drinker decided to give it a shot after enjoying my 3-week dry stout so much, took a sip, and said that it tasted like a grapefruit and he'd like another taste!

For the second batch, I added one extra ounce of bittering hops to attempt to address what the judges mentioned as a lack of hop flavor in the Cincinnati Malt Infusers home brew competition. I would say it came out a success, though drinkers that enjoyed it mostly for the tropical and floral notes preferred the first. I also replaced basic 2-row with Maris Otter to try to get a bit more malt body. I honestly can't tell the difference between the 2-row and MO. I'm still working on striking a balance between a distinct malt body and a complex hop quartet of Citra, Columbus, Willamette, and Cascade, which I can definitely distinguish in the beer.

Appearance - Hazy orange-red. Has a two inch head on it that dissipates in a few minutes and lacing that follows it down the glass. After conditioning for three weeks, the first keg cleared significantly, but not to "see through" clarity. I didn't use any finings in the boil because I forgot, so I anticipate that to be the clearest this will get.

Smell - Intense bouquet of grapefruit, citrus fruits, a slight hint of barley. Probably the most aromatic beer I've made.

Taste - An initial fruitiness gives way to a slightly harsh bitterness and then goes back to a clean, citrusy finish. The bitterness stays on the back of your tongue. I'd be interested in trying a slightly less harsh bittering hop like Bravo or Chinook. You can definitely pick out the Columbus "onion" flavor, but it is not unpleasant.

Mouthfeel - Dry. Very, very dry. Good carbonation. I wonder if a bit more caramel malt is in order to  give it a little more body, more in line with the "Midwest" side of the beer.

Drinkability - High. I had to fend off the hop heads from this last night because I only had one growler to spare. That being said, it is also fairly accessible to those lower on the lupulin scale.