We've looked at hybrid IPAs lately. Green Flash's Hop Head Red and Heavy Seas Dubbel Cannon, a red IPA and a Belgian IPA respectively, were both quite tasty. Flying Dog's Wildeman, a farmhouse IPA, not so much. Today's beer is a hybrid between an IPA and a Belgian style witbier. I'm expecting something creamy, fruity, maybe a little funky with a big American IPA hop punch. Should be delightful. Plus with the likes of Green Flash and Founders at the helm, this ought to be pretty tasty! To the beer!
Linchpin pours a hazed over burnt orange in color with bountiful golden yellow highlights. It's topped off with a generous amount of sturdy rocky white head. It's rather resilient and leaves some lovely lacing.
The aromas on this beer are all pretty delicate. Floral hops come out first. followed quickly by notes of toasted grain and fruity hints of banana and lemon. There's also some slight Belgian funk going on. Very measured and delicate.
Linchpin is light to medium bodied with a great creaminess. The flavors, like the aromas, are delicate. Yet still pretty strong. I know that doesn't make much sense. What I mean to say is all of the flavors feel very measured and work very well in concert. Big, but not brash. Nothing seems to overpower anything else. There's a ton of fruity flavor going on here. Lovely tart hints at lemon and grapefruit and notes of dry fruits like pear and granny smith apples.There's almost a peppery tang that comes out on the back end of this beer. Linchpin is nice and bitter throughout and lingers nicely on the finish.
I quite enjoyed this beer. It's a really interesting and tasty spin on an IPA. The complexity of the sweet fruitiness sets it apart. Founders and Green Flash did not let me down one bit with this one. Check it out!
HD
looks good. where'd you get this bad boy?
ReplyDeleteThis one came from the Hyde Park Kroger.
ReplyDelete