Monday, January 28, 2013

Kennebunkport I.P.A.

Kennebunkport Brewing Co.   Portland, ME

This was a blind taste test provided by my lovely girlfriend…

Appearance:  Pours an amber orange…fairly transparent, there is a bit of bubble action going on in the middle…a thin layer of off white head formed and just barely covers the top…doesn’t really even liven up when I swirl it around…average looking…(3/5)

Smell:  Earthy/spicy hops up front…I’m also getting yeast, rye, some caramel sweetness (very light)…the spicy hops variety is really the only significantly attractive part about this relatively subdued brew…though I have to say, as it warms just a touch, the spicy hops aroma does open up…(3.5/5)

Taste:  Much the same as the nose…spicy, earthy, piney hops up front and through out…mild caramel and pale malt backbone really allowing all those hops to flourish…some citrus/floral bitterness in the third phase and into the after taste, nicely rounding out the total package…there’s a bit of a buttery taste here as well…(3.25/5)

Mouthfeel:  Light to medium body, medium carbonation…fluffs up nice creating an earthy, spicy hops cloud on my palate…not overly resinous…(3.75/5)

Overall:  I’m curious to find out what this is…I’m thinking now that it also could be a Centennial Hops lead I.P.A…the spicy/earthy/piney/citrus ending hops variety used in here is really flavorful and is backed up nicely by lightly sweet/caramel malts…while it doesn’t re-invent the wheel, it is super drinkable, I suspect lower in ABV and is something I could sip a couple of at a party…above average is about right...(3.25/5)

And the winner is…

Kennebunkport IPA

Another Trader Joe’s specific brew and one I certainly haven’t had this before…these TJ‘s exclusive beers have so far been pretty good for their price tag…this one sells around $6 and that’s a steal…it’s produced at a conglomerate beer facility that also brews Sea Dog and Shipyard in Portland, Maine…large quantity, factory brews like this are becoming more popular as the craft beer industry grows with consumers loving to experiment and buy the unknown…I’d put this brew at slightly above average, but if you are a baller on a budget, this is a steal for the price…

Notes:
English I.P.A.
12oz Bottle
6.2% ABV

Score:
(3.39/5)

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