OK, there's a fair bit to take on board with this beer's title and descriptor. Sure, the West Coast and I for imperial part is simple enough, but retro and New World? Turns out the idea was to take the essence of an old school West Coast IPA on the larger size – 7.8 percent ABV so not craaaaazy big – and hop it to the eyeballs with a mixture of back-in-the-day US hops (Columbus) and newer, flightier offerings (Strata, Azacca and Cashmere) to create something with the punch of West Coasts of yore and the candy fruitiness of the modern era.
And the result? Well, for me, it's a case of back-in-the-day leaving the modern era with a couple of black eyes. The copper colour takes it back in time appearance-wise and the aromas go deep too. It's almost reminiscent of a sweeter, earthy whisky thanks to the woody notes that sit alongside the pine and spice. Flavour wise it’s all about the bitterness, not because the bitterness is particularly massive but because all of the flavours seem to inhabit it; if you were to describe them as a feeling, I’d go with mahogany. But as I’ve no idea what that tastes like – although some inkling as to how it might sound – maybe try sucking on a pine needle instead.
James Smith
Published November 4, 2022 2022-11-04 00:00:00
