"Billy" Half-Stack IPA

Clocking in at a wondrous 88 IBUs, "Billy" Half-Stack IPA was one of the driest India pale ales that ever passed my lips, but it somehow managed to be oddly light-bodied. And at 6.8% alcohol, it was none to light on the liver either. From Queens, New York's SingleCut Beersmiths, Billy proved to be a gently hazy and well-carbonated brew with a cheery, bright gold hue. Fresh at the brewery, my pint arrived topped with a thick and sudsy white head.

There was a sensuous hop aroma jam-packed with lemon and grapefruit notes. The flavour was extremely hoppy, bitter, and wonderful, with citrus to spare. There was also a substantial amount of pine taste running parallel to the grapefruit. It finished bitterly and with an understated boozy warmth.

This was a hugely enjoyable IPA--crisp, flavourful, and bruisingly bitter.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.