Glassware: American IPAs are aroma forward beers that should be enjoyed to fully appreciate the beer. Jim is Workin’ Hard may be a session IPA, but it still has a lot of aromas, and glassware that traps these aromas is a must. The Spiegelau IPA glass is the first choice, as always, but a snifter glass will also work wonders for this incredible session IPA.

Description: Jim is Workin’ Hard pours a hazy golden orange hue with a frothy white head that leaves a thick layer of lacing on the glass. The aroma is hop forward with strong hits of sweet oranges up front and following notes of pine and general hop resin dankness accompanied by hints of semi-sweet malts. The taste follows the nose, but without a strong sweet character that the aroma seemed to hint toward. The notes of oranges are front and center with backing flavors of stone fruit and pine, and semi-sweet malts provide balance.

This is certainly a session beer, but packs a strong hop punch that is not typical when discussing session IPAs. The medium body feels much heftier than other session IPAs and provides a smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Singlecut certainly has proven itself a contender in the American IPA category, and Jim is Workin’ Hard is another feather in the feather-filled cap of the brewery.

Food pairing: The warmer weather is getting ready to leave, but there are few better ways to enjoy it than with Jim is Workin’ Hard and a backyard cookout. Grab some cans now, and have them ready for all the remaining barbecues cookouts of the season as it is the perfect beer to pair with hamburgers, hot dogs, barbecue chicken, spare ribs, and even fish. The citrus and hop resin notes are also the perfect counterpoint for any spicy barbecue sauce.

Jim is Workin’ Hard is also the perfect beer for a Friday night at home with friends enjoying pizza and movies. The semi sweet malts will devour the crust, and any topping is great as the hefty body of this beer can handle them all. The lighter qualities of this beer also make it a wonderful brunch pairing for a laid back Sunday. Jim is Workin’ Hard pairs wonderfully with a light goat cheese omelet, french toast, or even a citrus topped salad.

The Final Word: Singlecut Beersmiths is located in Astoria, N.Y., but the brewery has made a strong impression in every market that they enter. This statement is made even more impressive by the fact that they enter many markets leading with their IPAs, a category that has no shortages of available beers. Their Billy Full Stack, 18 Watt IPA, and Half-Stack are extremely popular beers and have garnered the brewery much praise.

Jim is Workin’ Hard is their entrance in lower ABV beers but still provides just as much flavor as a standard American IPA. The slightly hazy and juicy quality of the beer combined with the lower ABV is a winning combination in any IPA lover’s book! This is a definite must-try beer if you are a fan of the NEIPA style but want something a little more sessionable.

Jim is Workin’ Hard presents notes of orange, stone fruit and pine balanced by semi-sweet malts.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_SingleCut-Jim-is-Workin.jpgJim is Workin’ Hard presents notes of orange, stone fruit and pine balanced by semi-sweet malts. Submitted photo

By Derek Warren

For Weekender

Brewer: Singlecut Beersmiths

Beer: Jim is Workin’ Hard

Style: American IPA

ABV: 4.60 percent

Rating: WWWW

Derek Warren is a beer fanatic, avid homebrewer and beer historian. Derek can be heard weekly on the Beer Geeks Radio Hour at noon on Sundays on WILK 103.1 FM with past episodes available on iTunes.