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Adaptation Ale No. 4

Oklahoma
United States
Roughtail Beer Adaptation Ale Beer
Judges Ratings 
1 Review
92
Aroma:
23 / 24
Flavor:
37 / 40
Appearance:
5 / 6
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
Description 

Adaptation Ale is our rotating small-batch IPA series. Brewed once quarterly, Adaptation gives our brewers a chance to explore the near limitless possibilities of our favorite style of beer. No two batches will be the same. Keep an eye out for new releases every January, May, July and October.

An easy-going, simple malt profile of 2-Row Barley and Flaked Oats and Wheat provides a clean canvas for Southern Hemisphere hop varieties to shine.  Rakau, Waimea, Motueka and Galaxy hops are blended to bring out nuanced and complex aromas and flavors of lemon peel, passionfruit, pineapple and wildflowers in contrast to the explosive citrus and pine of their Pacific Northwest counterparts.  

Beverage Profile
ABV: 
6.5%
IBUs: 
50
Hops: 
Rakau, Waimea, Motueka, Galaxy
Malts: 
Two-Row, Flaked Oats, Wheat
Judges Review 
Joseph Formanek's picture
Judges Rating:
92
Aroma:
23 / 24
Appearance:
5 / 6
Flavor:
37 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20

This brew pours a hazy gold with a lingering, finely-bubbled white head that leaves an attractive lacing. The aroma in this brew is quite assertively complex and amazingly fresh, with a combination of dankness, lemon and lime zest, melony and fruity hop character along with a hint of sweet malt in the back. Galaxy hop notes seem to stand out more than the other hops that are used.

The flavor of this surprisingly smooth and creamy brew delivers clean base malt character without any specialty malt distractions. There is a touch of cereal note presumably coming from oats, which also explains the creamy texture. The brew exhibits a moderate level of hop bitterness – not overwhelming, and definitely within the proper balance for the style. Dank, resiny hop flavors come up front, which are then followed by moderate levels of tropical hop flavors of melon, pineapple, fruit and lime zest notes that linger well into the aftertaste. The finish displays a drying tartness that seems to come from the citrus zest character along with lingering bitterness, which prepares the palate very well for the next sip.

This is a very enjoyable and well-crafted brew. There is a lot going on in this one, which is nice to see in a standard-strength American IPA.