Judge’s Review: 90 Rating – IQ IPA by Akademia Brewing Co.

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By Rick Franckhauser

Judges Rating: 90
Aroma: 19
Appearance: 6
Flavor: 37
Mouthfeel: 10
Overall Impression: 18

IQ IPA by Akademia Brewing Co. was judged as BJCP category 21C, Hazy IPA.      
Oranges and pineapples are up front in the aroma at moderate levels. There is a touch of pine coming through as it warms. The citrus provides an impression of tartness. A slight mineral aspect comes across a little chalky. The beer is a yellow gold with substantial haze. Not murky but opaque. Big creamy slightly off-white head with lacing and great retention. 
The flavor presents a tart citric acid impression, which approaches a sour orange similar to unsweetened orange juice. The pineapple comes through mid-palate along with the pine resin. There are some rather nondescript malts that provide support but stay out of the way of the hops. A modest level of bitterness is accompanied by some hop bite. The finish is moderately dry with a lingering pine resin carrying over into the aftertaste. The medium body is lifted by the moderate level of carbonation. Some hop bite is noted but not astringent or distracting. The hop oils leave a little sticky mouth-coating layer, which is cleaned off by the carbonation. 
IQ IPA is a really nice hazy IPA. Straightforward in being a citrus and pineapple hop showcase. I think I would like some additional tropical fruit character to push it closer to the best examples but there is nothing off or out of place. I enjoyed the bitterness level that kept it from being overly sweet. Hop bite is common in the style, but here it aided the balance, rather than detracted from the overall enjoyment. I appreciate that it was not pushing the boundaries of the style with too much alcohol; some examples seem to teeter on the edge of the double IPA category and are somewhat challenging to drink. Overall, a really good example of a hazy that manages to be recognizable as belonging in the standard IPA camp.