I was at my local beer store, looking for something local for the USC v. OSU game. Couldn't find anything Columbus-brewed, so I opted for Buckeye Brewing (even though it is Cleveland brewed, it's still Ohio, right?). I've had this before, years ago, but that beer is a different beer--less mature, less clean--than what I am drinking tonight. Good to see growth and maturation for a brewery.Brewery: The Buckeye Brewing Company
Brewery Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Beer: Hippie IPA (scroll down to find it on the list)
BJCP Style: 14B. American IPA
Serving: Bottle
Appearance: Tawny, rust colored, with a relatively low head, more brown than amber, although in all fairness, it's a little tough to tell in this mug.
Smell: Piney, reminiscent of the 2007 Anchor Christmas Ale.
Taste: Big malt flavor, with hefty crystal malt. However, it's the hops that dominate. Big, piney hops. Most IPAs focus on the big citrusy C hops. Not sure what hops are used here, but they are definitely on the pine, earthy end of the spectrum [ed note: according to the brewery website, the recipe uses Northern and Cascade hops, so I stand corrected on the lack of C hops]. As noted above, reminds me of the Anchor Christmas ale from two years ago.
Mouthfeel: Hops are sharp, but big malt mellows them out.
Drinkability: I am generally not a fan of the pine hops, so I was a little disappointed when I opened this and got a whiff of scotch pines. I may stand alone, but I've not been a fan of the Amchor Christmas ales, which this beer reminded me of. However, as I work through the bottle, this beer is growing on me. It is pushing my boundaries a bit; not sure I would naturally gravitate to this beer, but I appreciate what the brewer is doing and think this a solid beer.
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