West coast style IPA’s have become all of the rage in recent years, and with some of them ranging from mildly hopped single IPA’s to smack you in the face, super hopped, giant Imperial IPA’s, there’s always something for everyone. However, for those looking for one of the most balanced, perfect example of the style, they may want to look for Alesmith IPA. As their brewery continues to expand and production continues to climb, be sure to look for it on your next visit to Der Biergarten in Sacramento, CA.
Hailing from San Diego County, Alesmith has risen up the ranks as one of the premier breweries in one of the greatest beer cities in America, if not the world. The beer itself usually comes in 22 oz bottles, has no fancy name, no over-the-top fancy label, just super delicious beer. Coming in at 7.2% abv, the brew pours a very nice burnt-orange color with a nice white head. The aroma that escapes from the bottle or glass is that of citrus, and hints of pineapple or peach. It’s clear as can be, just upon a sniff of this stuff that it’s west coast IPA all the way.
Enough of the sniffing and smelling though—now it’s time for the true test, the taste! Oh, it’s everything that you wish it would be, and more. It doesn’t completely smack you in the face with bitterness, but instead delivers a perfect balance of piney notes, some light maltiness, and overall just an incredibly delicious IPA. There’s nothing pretentious about this beer, and it’s clear from the way that it was brewed that the brewers were not trying to create some hop bomb that would destroy the taste buds. Fans of big, imperial IPA’s might be left a little unsatisfied with the amount of hops, but once they take a moment to admire more of the old-school brewing tradition of creating a perfect balance, they should really appreciate and enjoy this one. Alesmith is truly one of the master breweries that consistently churns out one great beer after another, and this one, the simple, straight-forward Alesmith IPA just may be their flagship beer.