Big Axe Splinter Cat IPA. Big Axe Brewing, proudly brewed in Nisswa, MN. 6.3% ABV. 63 IBU.
To the eye: Slightly hazed, murky amber-ish coloring, off-white froth atop.
In the nose: Fruit and funk. Stone fruit, pitted fruit, much malt. A little bit odd, this one. A little herbal....not at all typical. huh.
In the mouth: Bitterness hits first, followed by fruit, then sweet turns to dry. Medium body, longish, bitter finish. Funky malt, but not in the usual meaning. There's something off about this one. Not unpleasant, but not pleasing, either. I so want to like it, for I had a good experience at the taproom last year. But I have to call it as I see it. This one needs to go back to the ol' drawing board. As it is, it's a very mediocre India Pale Ale.
I'll keep trying the Big Axe canned efforts, hoping for better success.
I wonder what a "splinter cat" is? Must have a logging connection. I Googled. It does. I didn't need to Google, though. The label tells us this: "The splinter cat will hurl itself from tree to tree, smashing the trunks to pieces, revealing the tasty morsels inside."
1 comment:
We've had a few cans that seem to have suffered some oxidation, due frankly to some poor canning technique which we believe we have corrected. The picture is fairly clear that the brew you have is darker than it should be indicating oxidation, age and/or loss of flavor/harsher notes. I hate seeing it and we have been working to improve on our canning and packaging technique to seal in the juicy, piney and citrus flavors that beer should exhibit, as well as a smoother, unoxidized bitterness. I hope you give us another chance. We are pouring fresh canned Splinter Cat today (11/10/17) at McDonalds Liquors in South Minneapolis at 4pm if you're interested in giving it another floor run.
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