Hop Karma IPA

This lovely, dark brown beer comes across as a real hybrid – “Jekyll and Hyde” style – with bold aspects of an I.P.A. and brown ale fused into one very interesting beer, noted Bob. It pours clear and dark brown, Owen added, with garnet hues and a heavy, lingering, fluffy layer of tan foam, and its aroma explodes with notes of citrus, caramel, butterscotch, peanut brittle and pleasant fruity esters. Fruit, malt, caramel and notes of pine and wood bark complement the citrus-like hop flavor, Owen continued. To Phil, the ale has lots of hop flavor with just enough supporting maltiness for balance, and a touch of toastiness and chocolate nuttiness add malt complexity to big caramel notes. Ed found a flavor profile of caramel, toffee and slight butterscotch, especially as the beer warms, and he noted that it provides a smooth mouthfeel with medium body and ample carbonation. The beer finishes a little sweet, Chris said, with low/medium carbonation, complex caramel malt notes and a persistent resiny hop flavor, making it overall a nice balance between a brown ale and a hoppy I.P.A.