Time for another West Side Story, but this time it’s Lower West Side and instead of the Jets and the Sharks it’s a far less dramatic and not at all musical brew review. * Let’s see if this one has a happy ending. But this isn’t big apple westside, it’s little apple west side as in Etobicoke. Once a city on it’s own, its now part of the sprawling TO metropolis. Woodbine Racetrack is a great place to get rid of some hard earned cash. Here’s a tip for you if you’re going to the track, don’t bet on the horses.
This West coast toast is a hopfest with Citra, Columbus, and Centennial, and with the Simcoe and Nugget combination that we know as Mosaic. If all these hop names mean squat to you that you are in good company. All it means to me is this brew sounds hoppy. They are asking me if I remember when I had my first West Coast IPA. I’m still trying to remember where I hid some Christmas gifts for the missus. If I do find them it looks like I have a head start on my Christmas shopping for 2024.
This brew pours as dark as a pale, a hopped up amber hue of a brew. A bright wide westside head to the North. A very juicy tropical citrus aroma, definitely some hops in this offing. The IBU at 62 may be a clue too. A nice juicy taste with some just right grapefruit bitters making for a zingy finish. A very tasty first taste. A thirsty big swig gives more of that great juice bitter combo, as balanced as the scales of justice (in theory). As progress was made the bitters became more pronounced, once again as balanced as the scales of justice (in practice).
Not a tragic ending at all. I killed a classic IPA and lived to tell the tale.
Delicious! Smooth and balanced mouthfeel. Hop forward, yet citrusy and creamy like an amber ale. My go to West Coast IPA 🍺