As I mentioned in my last post, I’m at the Bruegala beer festival in Bloomington, Illinois. At this festival, you buy a punch card with so many samples on it, but some beers cost 2-3 punches. I stopped at the table with Firestone Walker, because their Double Jack was only 1 punch (it’s an incredible beer, review coming later). While I was there, I noticed these Nectar Ales, also brewed by Firestone Walker. I thought I’d give the IPA a try to see how it was.
Location: Enjoyed a 3oz sample, in a sampling glass, at Bruegala in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 6.7% ABV, 60 IBU’s, 18.0L Color, ~ 203 Calories
Ingredients: Malts: Premium Two Row, White Wheat Malt, Crystal 75, Carapils; Hops: Bittering – Chinook, Late Kettle – Mt. Hood, Cascade, Whirlpool – Cascade, Dry Hop – Chinook, Centennial
Appearance & Aroma: It was clear and was copper colored. There was a thin, slightly creamy white head and it, and there was a piney-floral hop aroma with a bit of caramel maltiness.
Taste & Feel: The body was medium to full and it had a smooth mouthfeel. There was a bit of a big, sweet, caramel malt flavor up front, continuing into the middle. A warm, piney and citrusy hop bitterness started in the middle and grew through the finish. The malt backbone stayed fairly present throughout. Overall, there was a good balance between the caramel maltiness and the hop bitterness throughout.
Food Pairing: The big maltiness of this beer would call for something that could match it, and at the same time, help cut through it. Therefore, I think this would be good with something like a pretzel, which could stand up to the flavor, yet help you appreciate the flavors in it at the same time.
Overall Impression: It was fuller and maltier than I was expecting, making it a pretty solid beer. The body and malt flavor was matched by a pretty good hop bitterness and flavor. While it was good, the big body made it slightly less drinkable for me. However, overall, I thought it was a fairly balanced, pretty good beer.
My Rating: 
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