Castaway IPA

Castaway IPA by Big Lake Brewing is being evaluated as style 21A, American IPA, per the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines.

The aroma is quite dank, with evident Simcoe cattiness along with Citra and tropical hop aromas. There is a touch of sweet malt backbone here, along with a few esters for support. The color is light golden with great clarity and a moderate white, small-bubbled head with good retention.

The flavor has a light caramalt backbone along with substantial dank hop character, with overripe melon predominating over the sulfury dankness. There is a very interesting interplay between the hops and malt in the flavor, and it is well appreciated. A light sweetness is accentuated by the hop character. Hop bitterness is moderate. The finish is a touch sweet, with the bitterness arriving just after the sweetness. There is a long, lingering dank sulfur and melon hop character throughout the finish and aftertaste. The body is medium-light and the carbonation is moderate.

Castaway West Coast IPA is a very well-crafted brew that exemplifies the style quite well. There is a very nice balance of rather assertive flavors throughout, with the various flavor characteristics complementing each other nicely. Even though the flavor impact is fairly high, the brew is surprisingly smooth and quaffable for the style. Definitely seek this one out if you are looking for a West Coast IPA like they used to make back in the day