Oskar Blues' IPA

Whenever my girl KC comes to visit, I'm thrilled. She's a brilliant human and a lot of fun ... plus she always brings me a couple of cans of beer from the US of A (though I'd always be glad to see her, even if she arrived empty-handed). This past visit was no exception, and one of the brews I came away with was Oskar Blues' IPA. From Brevard, NC's Oskar Blues Brewery come the 355mL cans of this 6.43% alcohol IPA. The beer inside is a hazy straw gold, and it pours with a loose off-white head.

OB's IPA has a big, resinous nose with lots of bitter, swampy notes. However, it's flavour proved a bit more restrained. There were some resin elements, certainly, but these were outshone by tangerine notes and a vague metallic flavour.

Having tried and enjoyed several of Oskar Blues' brews in the past, I'd put this one right in the middle of the pack: not as sessionable and playful as Dale's Pale Ale or as dominant as Ten Fidy, but with a bit more approachability that G'Night or Death by Coconut. All told, a fine edition to the family, and a beer that, if I lived in America, would frequently come home with me.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.