Beer of the Weekend #827: Session X Mt. Hood
The beer of the weekend is another edition in a single-hop series: Session X Mt. Hood, brewed by the Iowa City Brewlab of Iowa City, Iowa.
The color is cloudy, medium amber. A half finger of beige, buttery, bubbly head dissipates quickly to leave a ring around the edge and a skim. Though the aroma is light, there are scents of citrus, light arbor, and herbal hops. Orange is the most noticeable citrus character, but I also get hints of something tropical and sticky sweet, like pineapple or mango. It is very light, though. The herbal scent becomes much more prominent as the beer continues to warm. The flavor is a mélange of citrus and fruit, and features a nice herbal bite. Each sip seems to offer something different; one features prominent zest, the next has more orange, and another has hints of pineapple and mango. Two things that are consistent, though, are a light caramel foundation and the herbal bite.
Fun facts about Session X Mt. Hood:
• Style: American Pale Ale.
• Price: $12 for a 64-ounce growler fill at the Iowa City Brewlab. The owner, who filled my growler, mentioned it being a “going out of business” special. Someone told me a while ago that he thought the Brewlab was closing but I did not believe him, so perhaps the rumor was correct. There sure is not much on tap there anymore.
• Alcohol content: 5.3 percent ABV.
• IBU: 32.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
The color is cloudy, medium amber. A half finger of beige, buttery, bubbly head dissipates quickly to leave a ring around the edge and a skim. Though the aroma is light, there are scents of citrus, light arbor, and herbal hops. Orange is the most noticeable citrus character, but I also get hints of something tropical and sticky sweet, like pineapple or mango. It is very light, though. The herbal scent becomes much more prominent as the beer continues to warm. The flavor is a mélange of citrus and fruit, and features a nice herbal bite. Each sip seems to offer something different; one features prominent zest, the next has more orange, and another has hints of pineapple and mango. Two things that are consistent, though, are a light caramel foundation and the herbal bite.
Fun facts about Session X Mt. Hood:
• Style: American Pale Ale.
• Price: $12 for a 64-ounce growler fill at the Iowa City Brewlab. The owner, who filled my growler, mentioned it being a “going out of business” special. Someone told me a while ago that he thought the Brewlab was closing but I did not believe him, so perhaps the rumor was correct. There sure is not much on tap there anymore.
• Alcohol content: 5.3 percent ABV.
• IBU: 32.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
