Smuttynose Finestkind IPA 5.5/20

I am very excited to have smuttynose on tap here at Contigo. Released in Texas for the first time last month, this brewery from New Hampshire has been celebrated in the north east since 94. Plan on seeing other selections visit our rotating taps soon.

Finest Kind Video Review.

Description: Portsmouth is a colonial era seaport town, so it goes to follow that sooner or later we’d brew an India Pale Ale as a tribute to those big, hoppy 19th century ales that made the long sea voyage from England’s temperate shores, ’round the Cape of Good Hope, to the sultry climes of the faraway East Indies.

You could say, then, that Smuttynose IPA is a physical salute to the glory of the American hop grower. The citrusy hop flavor coming from a mixture of Simcoe and Santiams is pleasantly balanced by a smooth bitterness from the Amarillo hops. The beer itself is light bodied and crisp with a golden color that will throw a slight haze, as we bottle it unfiltered. At 75 IBU’s, this is definitely not a training-wheels IPA, but is meant for hop lovers looking to satisfy their craving in a way that’s not easy to find. We think they’ll be quite pleased.

Our IPA is dry-hopped and unfiltered. The lees (sediment) that form on the bottom of the bottle are a natural part of this fine ale.

Review: Pours a murky honey orange with a foamy tan head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, citrus fruit, and citrus zest aromas. Taste is much the same with citrus zest and grapefruit juice flavors on the finish. There is a medium amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with solid citrus zest and citrus juice characteristics that are slightly better in the taste to me.


ABV: 6.9%