E.J. Phair India Pale Ale

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

10.09.05 12oz bottle, trade from springslicker. Autumnal golden pour with a frothy though diminishing head that lasts. Citrus dominated nose with some bubblegum notes. The flavor is bitter and hop-forward in a way that reminds me of Ballantine Ale - not the flavor, but the bitterness. Malts show up meekly with a nuttiness that is most pleasant. Good, refreshing stuff with plenty of hops to last across the Atlantic.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

An appealing IPA, that especially strikes a cord with me, since I spent much of my High School days growing up a few blocks from where this place is located. Whimisical rememberances or not, this beer stands on it's own, and satisfies with the best of them.

Burnt amber in appearence, with perhaps shades of red in the highlights. Not exceptionally carbonated, which is a nice change from many other commercial off-the-shelf beers I've had as of late from the Bay Area.

Not a whole lot in the way of aroma -- perhaps due the remnants of my cold, but also perhaps due to the fact that this beer doesn't have much to offer for the nose in the first place.

But the flavor-profile makes up for this, with a nicely balanced affair. Malty enough to make a difference, but still allowing the hop-profile free reign to do as it pleases. Very PacNW in it's approach -- very much in line with some of the very best from Oregon and Washington. Not excesively hoppy, but quite within the friendly confines of what makes a good "standard" IPA.

Doesn't come across as being a beer that chimes in as 7%ABV, and that's both a blessing and a curse. It's nice not to have to "fight" a beer to enjoy it, but I'm not so sure about the long-term drinkability of this beer. Come 3-4, I suspect these beers would start to come back to haunt you some.

Still, this was a nice little find, from my long-ago hometown of Concord, CA. A worthy addition to the well-bred family of IPAs coming from California these days.
//TB

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

Not much to say about this IPA, except that it's real hoppy. Not much of head on it and what there was looked rather off-whiteish. Nice fruity aroma with a hoppy scent. Bitter, bitter and more bitter. Great if you like IPA's, which aren't one of my favorites.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

Orange gold color. Small white foamy head. Aroma is grapefruity, piney and fruity. A medium bodied IPA. Malts are fruity and sweet. Hops are grapefruity and piney and very pronounced. Nicely balanced. Smooth taste. There is a fairly strong alcohol bite at the finish, which is kind of surprising as the beer is only 7% ABV. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is bitter.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

Clear gold cloor, crystal clear. Hops and dried fruits in the aroma. Has a really nice peachy/hoppy feel to the body. Remarkably smooth. I believe i read that this won something at the GABF this year.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

This IPA pours with a nice, clear amber body topped by a thick head with some lacing. The aroma is slightly sweet and malty with an underlying hoppiness, full of appricot and grapefruit notes, and a very slight piney note. There’s also a slight tomato note. The flavor is bitter and hoppy with a slight fruitiness and a piney note with sweet malty notes in the background. Medium bodied, slightly dry and smooth.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

Hoping for a good start to the home town favorite. Their ales tasted OK and relatively clean on tap, but once it was tried in the bottle all hope was lost. Perfect your brewing process before you expand!! Sweaty gym sock is not a characteristic that someone should have to use to describe beer!