I-10 IPA - Intuition Ale Works
The Background
I decided that I would go back to Intuition Ale Works, having enjoyed my first foray into their beers with Jon Boat, and later having sampled their quite wonderful People’s Pale Ale while out to dinner. They are one of the up and coming craft breweries who are doing their best to advance the can as a suitable method of enjoying a beer. Their thoughts on it can be found here, and I personally found it to be worth a read (though, in the interest of honesty, I already agreed heavily). It is most assuredly a quite hoppy American IPA, and they full embrace the style. They’ve only been canning their beer since this February, but already it has been an impressive showing throughout the Jacksonville and Tampa areas. They only can 3 of their rather long list of beers, but so far I’ve not found one that isn’t delectable.
The Facts
- ABV - 7.3%
- IBU - Not Listed, Estimate around 60-70
- Cost - $8.99 for a 6-pack of 12oz Cans
- Availability - 12oz Cans, Growlers, or On Tap, unfortunately only in select Florida areas for now.
The Rating
Appearance - Wonderful golden appearance, with a close to pure white head. The retention isn’t exceptional, lasting only around a minute at most, but with a proper pour you can make it a full two fingers. Probably the first IPA I would describe as having a “fluffy” head. It was pleasant, but nothing groundbreaking. A 4/5 for appearance.
Smell - Grapefruit, hops, and assorted citrus. A very pleasant bouquet augmented slightly by a sharp sweet smell that didn’t come from the various fruits. Can’t quite put my finger on it as it was likely one of the varieties of hops used, but it was very, very pleasant. With most beers I tend to smell every couple of sips, but I was genuinely compelled to continue enjoying the aroma throughout the tastings each night. Just a great aroma on this, earning it a 10/10 for smell.
Mouthfeel - A fair amount of carbonation, coupled with a medium body is always a pleasant mix for an IPA (at least in this reviewers opinion). It gives a great dry finish that one comes to expect from a beer this pleasantly hoppy and carbonated. A fair 4/5 for mouthfeel.
Taste - As you may have anticipated from the smell, this beer is more than happy to let the hops do their thing. You are greeted with bitterness at the forefront, that quickly gives way to some delightfully summery fruit flavors. The distinct sweetness and bitterness of grapefruit pairs well here, as does the lemony citrus. I anticipated that some of the sweetness in the smell might have come from the malt, but to be totally honest I can’t really taste any semblance of that here. Pleny of IPAs are known to do this, though, so it isn’t an incredibly upsetting situation. A very enjoyable drinking experience, though nothing truly beyond the norm. An 8/10 for taste.
Overall - 26/30
To say that this beer restored my hope in Jacksonville’s local brews would be a bit of an overstatement, but it is certainly a breath of fresh air after the flop I experienced last week. This is a beer I would happily bring to the beach and enjoy in the hot Florida sun. It’s great for a day cooling off at the pool, and it pairs great with some spicy food so that it can help cut through the burn. These are the experiences I am hoping to have while enjoying a great beer, and this is certainly a beer in line with that vision.
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