Mission St. India Pale Ale

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

Purchased at Trader Joe's in Portland, ME. Pours a slight hazed golden-amber colour with a frothy light-beige head, good retention and lots of dirty lacing. The nose is hoppy, but not too crazy with fresh herbal notes over caramel malts. The taste is light grassiness, with some decent bitterness and dryness in the end. Nothing much stands out, but a decent IPA.

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

12oz bottle -

For some reason when I shop at TJ's, the IPA is always out. This time, for $5.99 a six-pack and it's on the shelf..yeah....a no-brainer. To the beer starts out with a nice sniff of hops. Nothing really specific or that I could zero in on, just hops. It's rather odd that nothing really stands out, but it's like smelling a bag of hops just taken out of the cooler. Flavor has medium bitterness to it, with a very light (thank you) crystal malt profile. The guys at Firestone let the hops be the star, and the beer is better because of it. The malts are there, make no mistake and it's a bready-like sweetness to it. Mouthfeel is nice, evenly balanced. Nothing to get worked-up over, but a solidly built beer, easy to enjoy on a warm March afternoon and the price is oh-so right.

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

Aroma is hoppy, not strong or complex but OK. It pours a clear orange amber with a fairly thick ivory head. Flavor is somewhat hoppy, rather malty, with a hint of fruit, not really that much like an IPA. Texture is smooth, firm-bodied and just a little fizzy. As far as IPAs go, this one is no great shakes, but still palatable.

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

the best of the mission st beers. definitely not a standout in a talented ipa field, but a nice budget pick. floral and spicy hops with a firm malt backbone. for a buck, can't go wrong here at Trader Joes.

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

Not a bad IPA from Trader Joes. Clear amber, light stringy white head. Taste is clear and hoppy, fresh and clean. Nothing too exciting, but really did the trick. Aroam is fruity with a firm hop nose and some piney notes. All in all, it satisfied my palate well. Pretty nice.

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

A good IPA for a great price. This IPA isn’t going to be taking home any awards. There are clearly better IPAs coming out of the same brewery, even. However, I can’t think of a better IPA that retails at a buck per bottle. It’s strong and bitter with good hop notes, and what more can I really ask? If you’re looking to save a few dollars but still want your hop fix, Mission St. IPA satisfies. I can see many more of these bottles in my future.

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

Picked up six at the San Jose Trader Joe's, price was right at $5.99, recommended by a helpful staffer. I drank a couple there, and knew it was very good (good enough to send in a trade), finally getting around to a proper review. Clear, copper colored body with a thin, off-white head. The foam slowly dissipates to thin floating cap, thin lace. Smells of pine with some herbal hops. Caramel and toasted malt also apparent. Lots of hoppy bitterness, pine resin, citrus, grapefruit. Enough bready malt to keep things in balance. Crisp mouthfeel, medium body, dry finish. Nice hoppy aftertaste. Good drinkability: an all-around good, easy to drink IPA, a nice suprise.

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

A friend turned me on to this one. Found it at Trader Joe's. Pours a crisp, amber/copper color with a one finger head which leaves some pronounced lacing on the sides of my glass. Tangerine, lychee and rich, blossoming flowers on the nose. Tastes as it smells with a strong, firm malt backbone. It has a nice dry, but not bitter finish. One of the most balanced IPA's in its price range. At $6.99 a six pack, it's an absolute steal, IMO. With a bit of research, I discovered that it is brewed by Firestone Walker, a noteworthy brewery whose beers don't make it to the Midwest. A pleasant surprise. Definitely worth trying.