During the holiday season I had the opportunity to sample many fine brews from all over, though I kept an eye on my quest to discover and try as many local Connecticut brews as possible.
Toward that end one of the beers I tried was Huntress, a double India Pale Ale, from Relic Brewing in Plainville, CT.
First I have to point to the holiday glassware. I usually try to use clear glass to highlight the color of the brew. But it was the holiday season and we replace a lot of our glassware with special holiday glasses. And I was in the spirit and using those glasses even for beer drinking. This particular one is one of the few remaining glasses from a polar bear set we have had since the kids were little. And the kids have been out of college for years, just to indicate the age of this particular glass.
You will notice the cloudiness. It's not the age of the glass. This is definitely an unfiltered beer.
The first thing you notice is a strong hop aroma. You can sense the strength of the brew just from the scent.
The first taste impression corroborates the aroma. This is no shrinking violet. You are met with a strong hoppy flavor. But surprisingly despite the overwhelming hop signature there is not much bitterness. This beer is not subtle, and it definitely fills the mouth, but enough balance has been achieved that even though the hops dominate, the bitterness is subtle and fleeting.
This brew is all about power, but just enough floral notes to offset the hops and lead to an enjoyable glass.
You are not surprised to learn that Huntress has 9% abv. This is definitely not a session beer.
Relic is a relatively small craft brewer, so some of its beers are contract brewed. That is the case with the Huntress Double IPA which is brewed for Relic by Hooker Brewing of Bloomfield, CT.
I give Huntress 7 mugs out of 10. Until next time, have a good one!