Judge’s Review: 94 Rating – Vista by Lost Worlds Brewing Co.

American IPA | Year-Round | USA

By David Sapsis

Judges Rating: 94.00
Aroma: 22.00
Appearance: 6.00
Flavor: 38.00
Mouthfeel: 9.00
Overall Impression: 19.00

Vista by Lost Worlds Brewing Co. is being judged according to the 2021 BJCP guidelines category 21A; American IPA.
The beer comes to me after a vigorous pour into a 10-ounce nonic shouldered glass at 48oF. The beer exhibits a light amber color (est. at 7/8 SRM) with good clarity and a lovely off-white, mixed- bubble head that persists for minutes into the tasting.
The aroma has equal measures of malt and hops – a light honey and faintly toffee note from the former, and some distinctly citrusy orange peel and lime notes with a side of unripe green melon and a dash of pine resin from the latter. This complement hearkens me back to the relatively early days of American IPAs before the proverbial flood, and the gradual tendency to eliminate crystal malts in favor of reduced base/pils malt character and novel fruity/tropical flavors from new hop cultivars. The aroma is quite nice both in the distinct flavors and the balance of sweet and hoppy, coming off both rounded and bright.
The flavor starts with a full and rich complement of malt with notes of light toffee and honey-caramel that then gets merged in with some bitter orange and that nice tart melon angle noted in the nose. The mid-palate dances with light caramel sweetness, high bitterness, and complex citrus and pine with some pomelo and general fruity (ethyl acetate) ester notes thrown in for good measure; indeed, this is an ale at heart. The late palate is long and lingering with bitterness and light caramel along with a more herbal, sage-like character into the finish, which is dry, but not overly so. Body is medium-high, there is some faint astringency (nominal and fine given the level of bitterness present), and CO2 levels are high and spritzy, cleaning up the finish into a nice aftertaste of malty/hoppy goodness. 
This is a super-tasty, somewhat old-school IPA that showcases both hops and malt, the latter seemingly with some low color caramel malt in the grist. While super bitter, the beer remains structured and balanced from beginning to end and is very drinkable. While the moniker “West Coast” is often used to indicate all base-malt/pale yellow-colored IPAs purposefully stripped of malt structure, Vista sees through that folly and provides a balanced interpretation of a strong and hoppy ale. I like it (a lot!), and I think you might too. Well done Lost Worlds.