Full Pint Chinookie IPA

No Limp Bizkit1 references here. This blog is classy. Sorta.

My assumption was that the name of this beer was a reference to Chinook hops and that this would be one of them highfalutin single-hop experiment glorifying this particular varietal. However, upon closer inspection of the bottle’s beer nerd stats, it appears that Chinook is but one of four hops. Perhaps this is for the best. I’ve never used Chinook before, but from everything I’ve read, it’s got an intense bitterness and overpowering flavor profile (apparently very piney and resiny). This beer apparently had four hop additions along with some dry hopping, so let’s see how it turned out:

Full Pint Chinookie IPA

Full Pint Chinookie IPA – Pours a cloudy, darkish orange color with a finger of tight white head and some lacing as I drink. Smells of equal parts citrus and pine, with a heaping helping of floral hop notes as well. Taste has a nice balance between sweetness and bitterness, there’s a definite but small presence of crystal malts, and while the hop flavors (roughly matching the composition of the aromas) are light, there’s certainly enough to make this an interesting brew. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, with ample tight carbonation, and a dry finish. Overall, a solid IPA that’d probably make a nice go-to for the locals in Pittsburgh. It’s not a remarkable beer, but it works. B

Beer Nerd Details: 6.2% ABV bottled (12 oz.) Drank out of a tulip glass on 8/11/12. Hops: Magnum, Warrior, Chinook, and Centennial. IBUs: 103.1. Lot 210, best by Feb 2013.

Full Pint continues to be an interesting PA brewery (Pittsburgh area, if I remember correctly) – Rye Rebellion was quite a solid entry, and there are plenty of other beers on their roster that I’d like to check out.

1 – True story: I booed Limp Bizkit off stage once (they were opening for Faith No More, a band I actually like). Not, you know, by myself, but as a willing participant. We didn’t have torches and pitchforks, but we got the job done. It was a proud moment.

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