Stone Brewing Co, Escondido, CA

 7.7% ABV, 100+ IBU, Magnum & Centennial hops

Stone's self-described "liquid poem to the glory of the hop" pours a slightly hazy honey-orange, with a thick cream-coloured head. A steady stream of bubbles rises in the middle of the glass, though there’s not a lot of audible activity. A blast of citrusy hop aroma wafts from the glass, with lots of grapefruit & lemon peel. Luscious & appetizing. Medium-bodied, spritzy texture, with a fine carbonation effervescence, yet somewhat mouth-filling and tongue-coating.

Tastes hugely citric & bitter right from the get-go. Some grapefruit followed by lemon – lemon blossom, lemon peel, lemon candy, then grapefuit marmalade and finally grapefruit pith. Underneath it all lies an almost English crackery, caramelly malt base. I like the yeast profile - very clean, but with a hint of diacetyl. Bitterness is pretty aggressive - some may find it too strong, but it works for me! Lengthy finish with a lingering, floral-citric-bitter hoppy aftertaste. Hint of orange even shows up. The aftertaste just lingers on and on. Impressive. A ring of foam and some patchy lace cling to the glass at the finish.

This is one of my favorite IPAs. It's a big, bold, bitter & hoppy beer, but with a wonderful lemony edge.

"A hopped-up red rye ale", ale brewed with rye and palm sugar, Two Brothers Brewing Co., Warrenville, IL

7.0% ABV, on draught at Chappy's Tap Room & Grille, Moraine, OH

Pours a deep reddish-amber hue with a cream-coloured collar and thin layer of foam. Aroma of hops (citrus, some pine) and toasted malt. Smooth, creamy texture and medium body. Big citric and piney hops on the palate with grapefruit most apparent, starting more rounded then drying, with a toasted caramel malt base and hint of spice (coriander, maybe). Gentle bitterness supports the beer and provides balance. Some bittersweet tang in the finish. Wondrous! Nice lace rings cling to the glass.

I'd tried a bottle of this last year and was disappointed at the lack of hop character; obviously, my bottle must have been pretty old, as it bore no resemblance to this sample.

6.8% ABV, on draught at Chappy's Taproom & Grille, Moraine, OH

Served in the matching logo stemware glass, the beer is a hazy pale straw-gold with a quarter inch of solid, pure white foam. Appetizing aromas of coriander, clove, lemon zest and yeast. Medium light body with a fine effervescence, smooth on the palate, and very drinkable. Flavourful beer, with coriander, clove, lemon peel, mild malt underneath, and a hint of white pepper, with a sour tang. Very tasty and refreshing. Mild bitterness, but a drying finish and lingering aftertaste of spices and pithy lemon. Just a few small spots of foam remain on the glass.

My kind of beer for a warm, sunny day!

North Coast Brewing Co., Fort Bragg, CA; 11.5% ABV

Pours a clear, distinctly reddish hue. Pale beige head is short-lived, leaving a thin collar. Interesting aroma – mix of sweet malt candy and some floral hops. Big, malty start, getting even bigger. Sweet with notes of caramel and molasses, somewhat like a barleywine. Dries in the finish with some bitterness showing up. Alcohol also evident late, both in flavour and with a light burn. Tangy character plays at the sides of the tongue throughout. As it warms, I get a raisin-like fruitiness. Alcohol is big!

I recently tasted the 2007 bottling, and it was more complex and refined, so this beer cellars well. A great beer to sip and savour slowly.

5.0% ABV on draught at Mecklenburg Gardens, Cincinnati

Served in the appropriate logo glassware, the beer appears a cloudy amber-brown with a good finger of cream-coloured foam, thick and dense. Aroma of banana bread with toasted walnuts. Medium bodied and creamy smooth with a very fine carbonation. Tastes like banana bread with walnuts with a mildly sweet malty undertone. Finishes with a drying clove note. Has a rounded, gentle character. Refreshing. The head fell after the first few sips, but then regenerated halfway down, leaving a little lace behind.