Green Man IPA

An earthy, leafy hop essence supports the initial nutty, toffee/caramel, candy-like malt bouquet. Esters are subdued with an Earl Grey tea character that hints at berries and citrus. The malt starts out leading the flavor, but is rapidly replaced by a firm, emphatic bitterness that lasts to the finish and lingers in the aftertaste. The malt character is promising and complex but becomes overwhelmed by the dominant bitterness. Hops are unusually forward for an English IPA and mostly focused on bitterness. Compounded by the presence of a solvent-like heat that leaves a clinging bitter impression, the hop character lacks the appealing smoothness found in better examples of the style.