(NW) MacTarnahan’s Summer Grifter IPA Gets a B
Portland, OR – While its still technically spring, it doesn’t necessarily mean that spring’s familiar ales and lagers are here to stay. Already we have seen glimmers of summer’s soon-to-arrive presence in the form of MacTarnahan Brewery’s Summer Grifter. An India Pale Ale to help you forget about the dreariness of the Northwest and the onslaught of humidity to come, this beer seems to fit the mold of an IPA.
The style however is not centric to the Northwest or the West Coast but instead get’s its influences from the United Kingdom and far off India, during a time when beer was as valued as water itself. Known for their English Pale Ales, the British Troops would anticipate ships carrying this ale to the shores of the Indian Colonies. Unfortunately beer was hard to transport and often didn’t last the trip, until the discovery of hops as a preservative. Today what you have in front of you is decades of American modification which results in an IPA style which is unique to the region.
Summer Grifter India Pale Ale feels like an American-style Pale Ale. As the beer settles into the glass we are able to glimpse through the copper ocean with its off white foamy islands resting on top. As the aroma wafts under our nose we detect some floral character that is accented with a bit of grapefruit citrus and some caramel sweetness.
Sipping this beer one ponders pine needles, some spiciness, a bit of grapefruit citrus and some mild caramel malt sweetness. At 6.20% this beer definitely fits the mold of a India Pale Ale from the Northwest. And with the pending arrival of the Copper River Salmon, this would make a great addition to anyone’s table with some salmon, or other seafood.
B, if you find this on the shelf or draft it would be worth trying
What your colleagues had to say regarding this beer
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/127/49259/
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/mactarnahans-summer-grifter-india-pale-ale/102430/10022/
Cheers
About the photos’ author
Paul “Fruit Trees” Orchard, is an amateur craft beer enthusiast and amateur photographer. Throughout the many years in craft beer he is always carrying a camera (smartphone, digital, traditional) and is invites you to see that beer can also be exciting even if you can’t drink the photo.
In accordance with new FTC regulations regarding bloggers and endorsements, the aforementioned company has provided me a free sample that was used for research prior to writing this review.
