First Posted: 9/23/2013

Beer: Berwick IPA

Brewer: Berwick Brewing Company

Style: American IPA

ABV: 6.50%

Description: Berwick IPA pours a hazy golden yellow color with a fluffy white head that dissipates, but leaves a thin lacing on the glass. The aroma is a wide bouquet of hops dominated by scents of pine, grapefruit, and a touch of raisin, all backed up with sweet malt. It’s apparent that this is a well-balanced beer, based solely off the aroma. The taste follows the aroma and the bitterness from the hops hits the palate first, with citrus and pines being the most dominate. Sweet biscuit malt then washes over the palate before a long dry finish. The body of this beer is in the medium-to-full range with a great support to display the hops and add sweetness, leaving a lingering bitterness on the tongue. This is one of the best IPAs available on the East Coast and has an absolutely perfect balance. We are beyond lucky to have such a fantastic offering so close to home.

Food pairing: This is an IPA that is great to have with spicier dishes. If you are at home, pair this with a medium-cooked burger topped with pepper jack cheese and jalapeños. The caramelized ends of the burger will accentuate the sweetness in the malt, and the hop character will absolutely be in love with the spicy peppers. Another fantastic pairing with this beer occurs if you are at the brewery itself, and that’s with the Graham Standard pizza, a pizza topped with hot sauce, sausage, and Wisconsin cheese curds. If you’re not a fan of spicy dishes, pair this beer with salmon topped with lemon pepper. The oils from the fish have met their match in the carbonation of the beer, and the lemon citrus flavors will blend faultlessly with the citrus flavoring from the hops. The combinations with this beer are endless and with good reason – it’s absolutely delicious.

The final word: An absolutely stunning IPA. It is hard to imagine that an IPA this well-made is right here in our own backyard, but it is and we should all be taking advantage of it. It’s made better in the fact that it is a very approachable IPA for novices and craft beer fanatics alike. The hops are certainly present, but not overpowering enough to put someone new to the style off. The only complaint I have is that it is not yet available in six-packs, because I certainly want to have at least that many around. Be sure to get your hands on this breathtaking IPA and spread the good word about this well balanced brew made right here at home.

Rating: W W W W V

Where can I get it? Currently available in bottles and on draft at Berwick Brewing Company, Berwick.

Remember, enjoy responsibly! Cheers!

– Derek Warren is a beer fanatic, avid homebrewer, and beer historian. Follow Derek’s beer blog at idtapthat.org.

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