Eight Point IPA
Eight Point IPA, 5.9% and 60 IBUs, enjoyed at the grand opening of the Devil's Backbone brewpub in Wintergreen, VA. Appearance: A crystal clear pale yellow-bodied beer with a snow white head that recedes fairly quickly into a ring of lace and leaves a good number of snowy flecks of lacing. A decent start. Aroma: Pine, orange zest, roasted, biscuity caramel, a few stray leafy notes. Pleasant and inviting. Taste: A really great array of delicate hop notes - citrus that tends more towards the lighter end of the spectrum (i.e., orange zest instead of grapefruit zest), sprucey, lightly spicy pine, and a bitterness level that doesn't overpower anything but nonetheless demands to be taken seriously. All this is backed up by a not-overly sweet bready foundation. Really solid. Mouthfeel: Well carbonated and medium bodied, though perhaps a little thinner than is merited given the tastes. The bitterness melds well with the crisp effervescence though. Drinkability: Devil's Backbone's best brew of the five they had ready opening day, in my opinion - this one's just a really solid, drinkable, flavorful, sessionable (abv% is low, even for the style) IPA. I wouldn't mind seeing this one available in bottles.