11 Sep This Week On Tap: West Sixth’s IPA
By Cory Huffman for Indiana On Tap
I’m not a big advocate of Lexington, Kentucky. In all honesty, there isn’t much there that I like. That ‘meh’ attitude most assuredly is sparked by the University of Kentucky Fighting Calipari’s and Ashley Judd. Yes, you read that right, I’m not a fan of Ashley Judd.
I watch her cheer her Wildcats on and think to myself, “Must be nice to be a celebrity and get to go to all of my team’s games and not have to worry about working the next day.”
Sour grapes? Perhaps (NCAA Tourney – UK 64…my beloved Bearcats 51).
Bitter? I’m still weighing in on that.
And just for the record, I’m not a fan of Nick Lachey either. For your information, he IS NOT the biggest UC fan. I am. Honestly.
Moving on.
Now that I’ve bled a little pessimism, let me explain what I do like about the heart of Big Blue Nation – West Sixth’s IPA.
First and foremost, I love American IPA’s. Once my palate evolved to appreciate hoppy and bitter beer, IPAs were my (are my) jam!
West Sixth’s take on the IPA only takes that love further. There’s a lot going on here and your tongue is going to experience a plethora of flavors, with citrus as the obvious star. Over the backbone of bready malt and pine stickiness you will find subtle notes of peaches, lemon zest, dank grassiness, pine needles, and tangerines. Each sip is followed by a dangerously drinkable amount of resinous glamour. This truly is an IPA you can get lost in…and that’s just fine by me.
I’m not a big advocate of Lexington, Kentucky. In all honesty, there isn’t much there that I like. That ‘meh’ attitude most assuredly is sparked by the University of Kentucky Fighting Calipari’s and Ashley Judd. Yes, you read that right, I’m not a fan of Ashley Judd.
I watch her cheer her Wildcats on and think to myself, “Must be nice to be a celebrity and get to go to all of my team’s games and not have to worry about working the next day.”
Sour grapes? Perhaps (NCAA Tourney – UK 64…my beloved Bearcats 51).
Bitter? I’m still weighing in on that.
And just for the record, I’m not a fan of Nick Lachey either. For your information, he IS NOT the biggest UC fan. I am. Honestly.
Moving on.
Now that I’ve bled a little pessimism, let me explain what I do like about the heart of Big Blue Nation – West Sixth’s IPA.
First and foremost, I love American IPA’s. Once my palate evolved to appreciate hoppy and bitter beer, IPAs were my (are my) jam!
West Sixth’s take on the IPA only takes that love further. There’s a lot going on here and your tongue is going to experience a plethora of flavors, with citrus as the obvious star. Over the backbone of bready malt and pine stickiness you will find subtle notes of peaches, lemon zest, dank grassiness, pine needles, and tangerines. Each sip is followed by a dangerously drinkable amount of resinous glamour. This truly is an IPA you can get lost in…and that’s just fine by me.
Clocking in at 7% ABV, one must be careful because this beer can sneak up on you if you don’t pay attention. This past week, finishing up a few landscaping projects in ninety degree heat saw me experiencing the “sneakiness” first hand.
West Sixth’s IPA is big and hoppy (80 IBU), but in this writer’s humble opinion, they’ve placed great attention to making it well-balanced as well. Using 4 types of hops — Cascade, Columbus, Centennial, and the infamous Citra hop, they’ve been able to create a beer that’s not quite an West Coast IPA, but also not an East Coast IPA — a near perfect hybrid.
As for my previous inquiry about being bitter, I’d say yes, but that’s regarding the beer. This beer is bitter in the best way possible.
And as for that NCAA tourney score, I’m over that now. I am. Honestly.
West Sixth’s IPA is big and hoppy (80 IBU), but in this writer’s humble opinion, they’ve placed great attention to making it well-balanced as well. Using 4 types of hops — Cascade, Columbus, Centennial, and the infamous Citra hop, they’ve been able to create a beer that’s not quite an West Coast IPA, but also not an East Coast IPA — a near perfect hybrid.
As for my previous inquiry about being bitter, I’d say yes, but that’s regarding the beer. This beer is bitter in the best way possible.
And as for that NCAA tourney score, I’m over that now. I am. Honestly.
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