Well, that was harrowing--I needed to remember how to post!
Sorry for the delay, but as I said I would be easing into the habit, here, finally, is my first actual review--of Sam Adam's Whitewater IPA.
From the beginning, this beer presents a challenge. Namely, what kind of glass do you serve it in? It is an IPA, so should I base my choice of glassware on that fact, or on the fact that it is also a wheat ale? I have chosen an elegant presentation (not that you can see it) in a Pilsner glass.
As it pours, the beer is extremely light--almost the color you would expect from a Domestic Premium. The head is white, with bubbles about the size of caviar, fairly persistent, and leaves a nice lacing. In the glass, the beer is slightly darker than it appeared on the pour, though back lighting it reveals that it is still light, and has a huge amount of delicious sediments suspended in the fluid.
The nose reveals the tell tale hoppiness of the IPA, though not overpoweringly so. The first taste reveals more of the same, and if you do not allow the beer to linger in your mouth, that is probably all you can taste. In that respect, Whitewater IPA is a decent IPA, though without the extreme hops of a Furious or a Sweet Child of Vine, slightly bitter on the palate to cut the sweet nature of malt, light and refreshing.
The longer you allow the taste to flourish on your taste buds, the more you will notice the sweeter nature of the malt due to it being a wheat beer, but it will never overcome the strong hop character, rather being just enough to temper it into something extremely drinkable.
All told, I believe that if you like extremely hopped beers like Furious or Sweet Child, this outing may be too tame for you, but that it is definitely worth a try. I only like those beers on a rare occasion, and this seems like something that I could come home a drink after a hot day at work at least. . .once a week (variety is the spice of life!). I hope all of you at least try it, as it is worth some attention, and please comment below with your thoughts.
