pFriem Brut IPA

pFriem Brut IPA by pFriem Family Brewers was judged as a 21A – American IPA. It poured a brilliantly clear yellow gold color with a huge white head and plenty of lacing. The nose was a beautiful, huge aroma of mango, papaya and melon hop notes with just a hint of bready malt in the background. The esters appear to all come from the hops. Alcohol is clean, pleasant and ties all the aromas together. Upon first sip you get a big hop presence, which quickly ties in with a pleasant bready malt backbone. The finish was surprisingly dry and dropped off quite quickly leaving just a hint of hops on the tongue. Although the dry, less malty finish was unexpected it really worked in this beer leaving a very refreshing finish that was clean and with almost no hop resins. The carbonation was quite high on this beer, which may also have contributed to the clean finish. This beer had a ton of flavor that didn’t linger leaving you wanting another sip very quickly. I could see enjoying this beer with a nice salad and grilled salmon but would also hold up well with a beautifully grilled steak. Perfect for a hot summer’s eve.