Which is apropos of nothing, except the name of today's beer and brewery gives me the opportunity to work in a reference of one of my heroes.
Half Full Brewery is another in the growing list of Connecticut breweries whose output I've been sampling this spring and summer. It is in Stamford, CT and has been dispensing brews since August 2012. It was founded by someone who gave up a career on Wall Street to do something more meaningful. And if there is anything more meaningful than providing good beer to people I don't know what it is. (Okay perhaps that was a slight exaggeration.)
The beer pictured above, Pursuit IPA, is one of their regular offerings. It is found in the variety 12 pack from Half Full that is becoming more ubiquitous in local package stores around my part of the state. As you can see this brewery is comfortable with craft beer in cans which is definitely a growing trend.
Besides the darker than average color, the first thing noticed right off the bat was the citrus aroma characteristic of an IPA. It struck me as more pronounced than many IPAs I've experienced. The first impression from tasting the beer also revealed a stronger citrus flavor. This IPA was not shy. I "Immediately Pursued Action" (Half Full's phrase for IPA) and continued drinking.
Despite the initial hints of strength overall I found Pursuit IPA well balanced. There is a slight bitterness, especially in the aftertaste when you swallow. The hoppiness seemed more pronounced in the swallow as well.
There was a good body to the beer. Looking it up after my tasting notes I found it has an ABV of 7% which explains it not being a lightweight. But it was not at all heavy. This could definitely be a session IPA.
Half Full's Pursuit IPA is extremely drinkable. I give it 7 mugs out of 10.
I would definitely encourage beer lovers to seek out and sample some offerings from Half Full. And if you're in Connecticut and anywhere near Stamford you might want to check them out. Their web site has their hours for tours and pours.