Magnify Maine Event IPA

Good thing this beer was all cloudy so I’d know it was a New England IPA. Otherwise, just another sturdy American IPA. Hints of rich citrus/tropical fruit aroma from afar. Resinous bitter greens with a slight burnt sulfur note on the nose and juniper tree on a hot day. Tons of resin and mouth-coating astringency here, concluding with an assertive bitterness. Plenty of hops: like chewing on grapefruit skins.

Ray Daniels is the founder and director of the Cicerone Certification Program and the author, editor or publisher of more than two dozen books on beer and brewing. Follow him on Twitter @Cicerone_org.

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What does a mid-Atlantic brewery know about New England IPAs? Well, in this case it certainly looks the part. Hazy golden verging on light orange, but lacking the unattractive floaties. Heavy on the citrus juice with a green vegetal stalk note that runs along the back end. Flickers of generic tropical fruit flavors come and go. There’s a tingly, slightly acidic sensation that danced on the tongue between swallows. A fine companion for an afternoon on the beach.

John Holl is the editor of All About Beer Magazine. 

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