Odell IPA

Beer:Odell India Pale Ale
Brewery: Odell Brewing Co, Fort Collins, Colorado
ABV: 7%
Style: American IPA
Sample Medium:Bottle
Size: 12 oz

Impression: Odell doesn’t hold back on their India Pale Ale, hop-tastic right out of the gates. Plenty of citrus zip enchants the tongue and olfactory. The effect creates a zesty little jab to the face that really almost overwhelmed my senses. I guess I should have anticipated a wild ride from the rodeo like scene on the bottle depicting a man riding a bucking elephant. I also appreciate the lush foamy head that adorns the top of this beer so proudly and possesses notable staying power. It’s not all sunshine though as I’ll admit I am not exactly smitten with the mildly hazy color that lacks depth and what I consider to be an underdeveloped body. Certainly the fleeting hop forward punch which mellows into a light crisp finish accented with a clean hop bite positions this ale well for the opportunity to earn much admiration. However for me the body could use a bit more presence to balance out the opening act. It is fun for a hop head, but like a one trick pony this ale loses its luster after a bit. I don’t mean to sound too harsh as Odell really has delivered a tidy little IPA and I would recommend it to those who enjoy hops but not too much malty sweetness. This beer is for you. In short: I am glad I tried it and would drink it again, but for the most part I will stick to The Maharaja, 90 Minute IPA, or Hop Knot as my staple IPA’s for now.