Located in Squamish, BC, the Outdoor Adventure Capital of Canada, Howe Sound Inn & Brewing Company opened in 1996 brewing 100% barley malt beers. With an inn and outdoor adventure waiting at the doorstep, a few beers to end a day sounds pretty sweet.
From the brewery:
“A high gravity India Pale Ale brewed with 100% barley, six varities of hops, water and yeast. Extra barley malt nicely balances the huge volume of hops in this brew”.
And what did I think?
Appearance: The colour is a golden, burnt orange. It pours with a very nice head and a bit cloudy, probably from the large amount of hops.
Aroma: The aroma is hoppy/citrusy, a bit of orange. There are also some earthy and malty notes with a bit of dank.
Taste: First and foremost, as expected, there are hops. Its bitter and piney with some resin. Not the citrus that the nose leads to believe. The hops are accented with a hint of malt and some leather and tobacco coming through.
Mouthfeel: Medium body and a pretty typical carbonation. There is a bit of a stickiness/resin residue, probably from the amount of hops used.
Overall: This was a pretty good beer. Maybe not a “total eclipse”, but the hops are pretty dominate. There are a lot of IPAs on the market and this one may not be a leader of the pack, however it’s definitely one to try. True hop-heads may find it lacking, but those on the edge of the hop abyss will be pleased with this IPA.
73/100
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