Judge’s Review: 93 Rating – Bullitt by All Season Brewing

American IPA | Year-Round | USA

By David Sapsis

Judges Rating: 93.00
Aroma: 22.00
Appearance: 6.00
Flavor: 37.00
Mouthfeel: 10.00
Overall Impression: 18.00

Bullitt by All Season Brewing was judged as an American IPA, BJCP category 21A in the 2021 Style guidelines.
The beer is presented after a hard pour into a Belgian tulip glass at a relatively cold 43 degrees F. It shows a burnished gold color (SRM around 5-6, which is relatively darker than the common yellow variants seen these days) with brilliant clarity, while sporting an equally pretty, giant, off-white, creamy foam top that persists for minutes. Americans sometimes discount foam as a critical component of a great-looking and -tasting beer; this one has it all covered.
The aroma exhibits assertive blood orange, marmalade, and grapefruit citrus notes plus a prominent spicy dark and dank counter-angle giving it a complex fruity and herbal admixture of smells above a very light caramel and honey-tinged sweet maltiness. The nose is complex, rich, and inviting with hops to the fore but with a nice and obvious malt foundation.
The flavor profile starts with light toasty and sweet light honey caramel, quickly transitioning into a very rich fruity and herbal middle with flavors of orange peel, sweet apple, and a quite distinct diesel-dank and dark herbal note that is not overpowering that nonetheless lasts right through to the aftertaste. The bitterness is high but more than matched with the significant malt backbone providing equipoise. The late palate has bitterness front to back, with flavors of rich citrus, spice and dank herbs. Mouthfeel is medium-full with all that malt and glucan texture, tons of bitterness and flavor, along with some astringency. Conditioning is high (and appropriate).
Overall, this is a very pleasant modern IPA, with lots of hops all over and a nice malt structure that stands up. Much like its namesake, the classic badass SF Police Detective with the equally badass Ford Mustang, this one knows how to chase and be chased. Well driven.