Alone but not lonely at the cottage (my sane asylum). Out on the water, a line in the lake, reeling from the heat but still reeling them in. I think catching pickerel this big qualifies as weightlifting, but for those of you worried about the fish, have no fear. I catch consciously and release gently.*
I believe a fitting reward for a successful evening of casting and catching is a cool off quaff. Greenwood** is usually the go to excuse for my lack of fire building ability, but in this case it’s an IPA from our favourite baseball loving brewery, Left Field.
A golden pour, I could smell the zingy hops while pouring, no shrinking violet this brew. A nice new hardball white head, no scuffs from fouls on it yet. A whiff confirms the pour-shadowing, a hoppy zingy aroma with some fruit among the pines. Taste is tropical fruit backing up the pine pint zing bitters. The zing is definitely the thing here. More zip, zing and zest than fruit makes for a lively IPA that keeps your taste buds on their toes. The not by chance nuanced imbalance seems balanced.*** The bitters are the afterburners that really define this brew. A classic IPA lovers IPA, not for rookies riding the pines, but for IPA veterans savouring them. For those who have the chops to enjoy the hops.
The fish were biting last night and so was this IPA.
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