Saranac White IPA

When I got home from work last night, I happily returned to my task of whittling down the list of beers in my keezer that I haven't tried yet.  I went for a Saranac White IPA since it seemed like it might be a little less bitter than the rest of them, what with being a Saranac and all -- not hating on Saranac, but a lot of their beers tend to taste fairly similar, and they tend not to be as strong or assertive as, say, Sam Adams IPAs.  So White IPA it was:

Vittles:

Specialty Beer

6% abv

Score:

Appearance: 9/10

Aroma: 21/25

Taste: 36/40

Mouthfeel: 8/10

Style: 5/5

Drinkability: 8/10

Overall: 87/100

Impression:

I like the hazy, nearly opaque straw color of the body.  The aroma is fairly appealing, and I can smell lemon and orange, a bit of pine, a healthy yeastiness, and a moderate wheat backdrop.  The flavors are very well balanced, with the delicous citrus of the hops blending nicely with the wheat and yeast flavors, and I think I taste some coriander as well.  What I like best about this beer is that it showcases the hops without being overbearing.  The yeast and wheat qualities, which seem to get pushed into the background in the other Belgian IPAs I've tried, aren't hidden here, much to my joy.  I think people often fixate on bold and assertive hops and overlook or ignore the complexities in yeast and grain profiles.  As I've mentioned before, I tend to prefer maltier beers, and I love yeasty beers like hefes, so when I beer can bring those aspects together with with a good hops addition and keep all three in balance, I consider that a job well done.  This is probably my favorite Belgian IPA so far, and I would definitely have it again.

Cheers!