Day 236: "Finest Kind" IPA

Name: "Finest Kind" IPA

Brewer: Smuttynose Brewing Co. (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)

Classification: American IPA

Alcohol: 6.9% 

Thoughts: The weather today was absolutely amazing! It was almost 80 degrees with a little bit of cloud coverage, but still sunny and a nice breeze. In other words, it was "drink beer outside weather". I ended up on the patio outside the Flying Saucer in Raleigh and it was heaven. All I needed was a good beer and it would have made the moment complete. I ordered a Smuttynose "Finest Kind" IPA. It poured a solid copper color with a small, tight, white head resting on top. The smell went perfectly with the spring-like weather. It was very floral and flowery with hops and hops and hops. There was a little bit of piney resin the background of the aroma. The flavors were intense! Lots of hops, maybe too many hops. They actually overpowered the fruitiness and the bit of malts this beer did have. It was very dry and very bitter. Sometimes with these types of beers you can get this sticky sensation in the roof of your mouth, and that is what happened here. Despite that this is a good beer, and it has received numerous great reviews from all over the beer world. I recommend this, but beware of the sticky sensation. 

Rating: 86/100