Beer of the Weekend #972: Cloudcroft IPA

The beer of the weekend is the second of the two brews we brought back from Montana: Cloudcroft IPA, brewed by the Kalispell Brewing Company of Kalispell, Montana.



Serving type: 12-ounce can. No freshness date.

Appearance: Poured into my Number One Pint Glass. The color is lightly hazy golden amber. A half-finger of white, buttery, bubble-spotted head leaves a bubble-spotted skim and collar.

Smell: It smells like an Orange Julius. It has a general citrus/tropical element to it, though orange and grapefruit vie for prominence. A touch of pineapple comes through. It smells creamy, has a caramel base, and some zest emerges. I get a hint of arboreal hop spice but perhaps it is a figment of my imagination.

Taste: The flavor is a nice balance between malt and hops. The bitterness does not overpower—the beer is very well balanced—but it does linger on the taste buds long after each sip. It has a pleasant caramel base that has subtle layers of citrus and pine on top of it. There are flavors of grapefruit and orange, and arboreal spice also emerges. The mouthfeel is creamy and soft.

Fun facts about Cloudcroft IPA:

• Style: IPA.

• Price: I don’t remember and don’t have the receipt, but The Foxy Lady bought a six-pack at Canyon Foods Supermarket in Hungry Horse, Montana.

• Alcohol content: 7.3 percent ABV.

• IBU: 73.

• Color: 7 SRM. The brewery notes the color on its website!

• The Kalispell Brewing webpage features this handy graphic about the brewing process. Cloudcroft IPA is one of the beers that undergoes decoction, which is when part of the mash is boiled. I don’t think I had ever heard of decoction until tonight.

The Quiet Man’s grade: B+/A-.