Judge’s Review: 91 Rating – Crikey by Reuben’s Brews

American IPA | Year-Round | United States

By Richard Wong

Judges Rating: 91
Aroma: 23
Appearance: 5
Flavor: 37
Mouthfeel: 8
Overall Impression: 18

Crikey by Reuben’s Brews was judged as a (# 21A) American India Pale Ale (IPA) under the 2015 BJCP Guidelines.
The pour of this beer revealed a light brown hue that was a bit cloudy due to chill haze. It had a very nice carbonation that revealed a very pillowy and dense head. As well, for this beer I can see bubbles rising from bottom to top – a sign that it was well carbonated. The aroma of this beer was to be expected. An explosion of wonderful hops permeated the senses. Along with that, I don’t know how with all the hoppiness, but I also got malt sweetness as well.
The flavor of this beer was well balanced. It had a nice malt grain sweetness balanced nicely with the abundance of hops that had a nice pine resin and slight citrus (grapefruit/lemon) qualities. The hop bitterness was very smooth, thus indicating that hop distribution was well balanced and distributed and not thrown in at once in the boiling process. Had a nice medium body and mouthfeel. Again, the carbonation was just perfect. It had a nice effervescent bubble in the aftertaste and palate. As indicated above, the 6.8% abv in this beer is correct. I can taste it. It is a deceivingly strong beer that is very smooth and has a nice drinkability taste. A nice representation of the American Style IPA.