Whenever the topic of Pale Ales and India Pale Ales comes up in conversation, the subject can quickly move into one that pulls the listener into tangents and preferences---lines can be equally drawn between what one finds in Europe and what one finds in the United States. The discussion can digress into one of traditional brewing recipes and methods versus innovation and experimentation. Is it a traditional pale ale or IPA or is it an American Pale Ale or an AIPA?

I solve this dilemma by liking both; whether it be the truly "dry tasting" European traditional offerings or the American "flush with hops" versions that can tie one's tongue in knots of extreme taste bud wrestling.

One decidedly American India Pale Ale I've come across is the new IPA offered by Smuttynose Brewing of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I've long enjoyed their products and the price was right ($6.99 a six-pack) to try a new one. The label depicts two old gents sitting in lawn chairs in front of a trailer with the caption "the finest kind" as if they were having a conversation.

[I believe the conversation depicted on the label is undoubtedly about the Boston Red Sox's reversal of the "Curse of the Bambino." I drank this IPA throughout the ALCS with the Yankees and as the Red Sox's fortunes changed, I continued drinking it for the World Series as "karma" had to be respected.]

I was not disappointed as this is an IPA that falls into what I call the "lipsmacker" side of the taste spectrum. It's impossible to drink this IPA without smacking as the burst of hops is severe and lasting, ultimately satisfying and refreshing.

Smuttynose IPA pours to a rich golden color with a full, fragrant head of beer lace. The nose immediately detects floral notes and a grassiness in the aroma. The first taste is a sharp bite---crisp, citrus flavor with a decided grapefruit-like bitterness. Your taste buds wake up in a hurry and then are tantalized with a sweetness that cuts in the finish. There's hints of perhaps orange and honey that wraps around the sharpness in a very enjoyable way.

This is a highly drinkable and satisfying IPA. The full heady blast of hops will satisfy most hop lovers, while the smoothness and balance of the finish should not scare off those with a moderate love of them either.

This very well done IPA will stand up against spicy foods or accompany a cheeseburger with style. It's a fine conversationalist as well. A "lipsmacker" worthy of good company (i.e. long-time friends, not acquaintances).

Smuttynose IPA is a generous 6.6 alcohol by volume (ABV) so it packs a bit of a punch. However, Smuttynose's Big A IPA (part of their small barrel series) is at 9.9 ABV or so. Visit their Web site at www.smuttynose.com for more information on the brewery, their methods, and their offerings.

"Lipsmackers" know who they are and what to drink. I rate Smuttynose IPA with four stars and highly recommend it to fellow fans of the AIPA style.


Recommended: Yes