Insight Drift West Coast IPA. Featuring Simcoe, El Dorado, Mosaic, Citra Hops.
WORK IN PROGRESS-NOT FINAL. (This refers to the label, not the beer.)
6.6 % ABV, Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN.
The can pictured is an unfinished preview of what will probably be a much more attractive label, designed by my old friend Mark Rivard. It is not the first label he's done for them, but you haven't seen the first here yet because I can't get too excited about raspberry pineapple wheat ales. I've been on the fence about it since it came out....show support for Mark, or endure a style I'm not wild about? The debate rages on. If only someone would just come out and give me one, right? But this sample was gifted to me, and I never need hesitate to drink down a West Coast IPA.
Clear, bright golden color, large and lasting ivory head.
In the nose: Burst with citrus notes, right out of the gate. Pow! Orange, lemon, grapefruit, tangerine explosion. It fairly pulsates the dank.
In the mouth: Crisp, clean, bold and shiny. More powerful citrus notes, with a trickle of pine on the side, advance on the palate. A trifle of sweetness, turning swiftly dry, but overly so, and not too brittle or bitter. Hop bitterness is a good sized component of this tasty ale, but it's all well-balanced, smooth and delicious. I look forward to drinking more of this.
Drift, a mysterious combination of booming multi-dimensional flavor that finishes with an unmistakable finality. Enjoy a bouquet of Pacific Northwest hops. Citrus forward with background of pine, earthiness, and resin. Bitter with a deep and bold flavor profile.
Original artwork provided by local artist Mark Rivard of Minneapolis.
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