Hales India Pale Ale

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

Served at Ivar's Acres of Clams, in Seattle WA (Keep Clam!). It arrived with a smallish, frothy white head on top of a cloudy amber liquid. The aroma was a great hopped bitterness, and the taste was likewise, just not quite so great but still drinkable. Mouthfeel and finish were quite satisfactory.

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

Yet another quality product from the hoppy beer capital of the known world, the PacNW. In this case, a tasty IPA from the vastly under-rated Hale's Ales (Moss Bay) of Seattle, WA. Went to the brewpub several times, and always considered to be one of the semi-hidden gems of the otherwise crowded Seattle brewpub scene.

Anyway, onto to case at hand. Mongoose IPA presents itself in fine form, with a deep copper hue, with perhaps hints of red in the highlights. Nice even carbonation -- not too aggressive, but not too mellow, either. I would say the only hit on this beer is the nose, which could use more assertivness, IMHO.

As should be expected, this is purely PacNW in the hop department. Cascade, Chinook, and I'm guessing Columbus all make a appearence here at one time or another. The fact that none seem to dominate the other hops is a big plus in my book. Too many other brewers try too hard to have one in-your-face flavor stand out, which ends up producing a beer that lacks depth and imagination.

Never had a Hale's that wasn't complex and interesting, and this IPA is no exception. Recommended.
//TB