After a very successful trip to 4 Hands Brewing (where I had their Reprise Centennial Red Ale, Divided Sky Rye IPA, and Bona Fide Russian Imperial Stout), we headed over to the International Tap House in Soulard (near downtown St. Louis, MO) to watch Missouri play in the NCAA tournament and enjoy a few beers. My friend Joe said he had enjoyed 2nd Shift’s beers after he went to their 2nd Shift and Friends Festival last year, so I thought I’d give this one a try.

Location: Enjoyed in a large tulip shaped glass at the International Tap House (ITAP) in the Soulard area of St. Louis, MO.

Numbers: 7.6% ABV, 62IBUs, ~ 247 Calories

Ingredients: Hops include Columbus, Amarillo, and Citra.

Appearance & Aroma: It was slightly hazy and had a copper/orange/amber color with a very thin head. The aroma was a big floral hop aroma with hints of citrus and caramel malts.

Taste & Feel: The body was medium and the mouthfeel was a bit crisp from the carbonation and hops. The flavor up front was a bit sweet, malty/bready with a hint of caramel, along with a bit of floral and piney bitterness. The bitterness picked up a bit in the middle and it finished slightly dry and bitter with citrus and floral hop flavors.

Food Pairing: Perhaps it was the mix of floral and citrus bitterness, combined with sweet breadiness, but I think this would go very nicely with a bleu cheese burger. I think the bitterness and sweetness would help to balance the bleu cheese flavors, and the bready and caramel flavors would go nicely with the juicy beef.

Overall Impression: I enjoyed the complex mix of hop flavors, which seemed to shift between floral, citrusy, and piney, along with the sweet bready and light caramel flavors. The malt backbone was definitely there, competing with the hoppy bitterness, but true to style, the bitterness slightly won out. Overall, it was a pretty good American IPA, that I’d definitely try again.

My Rating:

Reader Ratings[five-star-rating]