Judge’s Review: 90 Rating – Li’l Luci by Church Street Brewing Co.

Specialty IPA | Year-Round | United States

By Nelson Crowle

Judges Rating: 90
Aroma: 22
Appearance: 5
Flavor: 37
Mouthfeel: 8
Overall Impression: 18

Li’l Luci by Church Street Brewing Co. was evaluated as a Specialty IPA (BJCP Style 21B). This beer pours a very hazy yellowish light gold with a large head of medium and large white bubbles that quickly fades to a disk of tiny bubbles. Big initial aromas of guava, orange zest, orange pith, lemon and black pepper hit as you approach the glass. Just a hint of bready malt is also present. The first taste is quite bitter with tangerine pith and zest, big lemon, and a lingering spicy black pepper note, along with hints of chili pepper flesh and maybe a touch of chili pepper heat. Light bready malt and coarse grainy notes take the background to the hops. Medium body, medium carbonation. There’s a lot going on, maybe a bit too much for balance (which is strongly toward the hops, as expected). A bit on the bitter side for a hazy, which generally focuses on hop flavors and aromas, but still a very nice hazy IPA. The orange and lemon notes would nicely complement a Brown Derby Cobb salad.