How can an IPA be simultaneously so simple and so complex?
Take a whiff, have a sip, and it’s tempting to just say, "citrus and resin". The hops aren’t coy; they’re jumping at you from the glass and presenting themselves from the first taste. Nothing left to discover, right?
Until you realise the smooth malt base is doing some great work at holding those hops steady, like a firm yet comfortable mattress you can jump on and your glass of wine won’t spill at all. (Seriously, I could watch a million of those videos.)
And then hints of light florals enter. As does a little grapefruit juice. Some pine needles. A dry herbaceous note. As the beer warms by a few degrees, sweeter fruits begin to show themselves, and by contrast they reveal the sturdy bitterness that’s been seeping in since you started.
Simple and complex. Drink and repeat.
Mick Wüst
