Shipyard Monkey Fist IPA

Shipyard Monkey Fist IPA, Shipyard Brewing Company, Portland, Maine.

I haven't anything from Shipyard in quite a long time. What caused me to buy this one? Maybe it's the Monkey. Everyone loves monkeys, and I'm certainly not immune. Although it's a bit too pervasive in the beer world. There are actually two beers out there called "Monkey Knife Fight IPA". I'm not sure which one is supposed to be "the good one".  But, back to Shipyard…

Hazy, coppery/amber coloring, big, white head, slims down slowly, leaves lace.

Aroma: Particularly pungent hoppiness, plenty of grapefruit, citrus, pine, all the usual suspects. Aggressive, lively, likable.

Taste: In the mouth, all that and more. Bitter, even tart, hop attack fairly pummels the palate. The mouthfeel and the texture is a bit too thin to sustain the assault, however. It all comes of as watery, to it's disadvantage. There's a funky twist to this, something from the yeast, as well as hops, perhaps. Here's a bottle where I could use some gobbledygook, for I'd love any kind of additional information.

A bit too acerbic and astringent in the finish. Lighter than medium bodied. hmmm, it's not bad, really, but I'm having a hard time liking it.