Ok, beer review! It’s been a little while since I did one. This time around I choose one I brought back from Colorado in June. The Renegade IPA from Estes Park Brewing in…you guessed it, Estes Park, Colo! This nice little brewpub is nestled away on the backside of downtown Estes Park and right at the base of the Rockies themselves. In fact, you’re just a hop, skip and a jump from Rocky Mountain National Park.
Photo courtesy of beersuggest.com
The brewery has been around since..well, I’m no sure to be honest. Not a lot out there on them and there website is under construction at the moment. Suffice to say, it’s been a few years at least.
This one is in the style of an American IPA. That’s India Pale Ale. This style traces its origins back to the 1700’s when Pale Ale’s were basically tweaked to be maltier and hoppier to withstand the long voyages to India. In the last twenty years or so, Americans have ‘tweaked’ even this, making the IOA more flavorful, definitely hoppier, often with an herbal tone to them.
Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass, appearance was a medium, cloudy gold color. Carbonation was on the heavy side, as I had to stop pouring half way through the bottle, but left a good lacing on the glass.
Aroma was a little disappointing. Usually I would expect some floral notes, a little citrus even. With this one I do get a very malty IPA as I’d expect, but the hop profile was so minimal it bordered on a Pale Ale.
Tasting much as it smells, the malt really does come out. A slight caramel to it in fact. Not overly impressive though.
Mouthfeel was ok. medium bodied, but greatly affected by the over carbonation.
Overall, it was indeed drinkable. A nice Pale Ale it was. Not an IPA though. Which is surprising. I’ve had this one before at the brewpub and was impressed. Perhaps it was the bottle. ABV not on the bottle, but seemed around 6%. Would pair well with poultry dishes that are spiced up, and some of your sharper cheeses.
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