I will occasionally "settle" for brews from other New England states, but have been focusing on CT brews for a number of weeks now.
Connecticut has been lagging behind other New England states, especially Vermont and Massachusetts, when it comes to craft brewing. But the state is working hard to make up for lost time.
One of the breweries that has become one of my overall favorites, not just among Connecticut breweries, is one called Two Roads Brewing Company in Stratford. They even have their own beer pavilion at the Harbor Yard ballpark in Bridgeport. You can sample their brews there before games of the Bridgeport Bluefish. As you can see they are fully into the trend of craft beer in cans, though their brews are also available in bottles.
I have been working my way through their sample twelve pack which includes the beer above, Honeyspot Road.
Honeyspot Road is a white IPA. It is made with wheat, hence the lighter color and cloudy appearance typical of a wheat ale. The hoppiness usually associated with an IPA is very present. There is the aroma of grapefruit so characteristic of an IPA. And the citrus notes continue subtly in the first tasting impressions.
The brew is very smooth and goes down easily. The flavor is a bit on the light side compared to a traditional IPA, and does not linger in the swallowing or aftertaste. At 6% abv it is not entirely surprising to have this be a beer with a lighter side. It also struck me as sweeter than a normal IPA.
What did seem more like an IPA and unlike your regular wheat ale was the absence of the prickly sensation on the tongue that I've often found in wheat based brews. Also there was a lack of spiciness. Many wheat ales add spices to the brew but none were detected here. I learned later from their web site that this is deliberate on the part of the brewery. They wanted a clean, crisp taste so did not add spices.
Overall I found this a very drinkable and pleasing offering. Definitely a beer to be enjoyed on a warm, summer day.
I give Honeyspot Road white IPA from Two Roads Brewery 7 mugs out of 10.
Or should that be 7 cans out of 10?