Thank goodness the pendulum has swung from high ABV brews to lower ABV brews. I do love me some solid pours, but when I’m home alone? I like having the option to sip without having to crawl my way upstairs. Feel me? I know you do. And while Stonewall has been around for a minute, this 4% ABV beer is a delight, even outside of Pride Month.
First, the pour. This session IPA – a brew with an Alcohol By Volume percentage of 5 or lower – does love to give good head (HEH), but the thick foam dissipates quickly, letting you really dig the beautiful golden color of the beer itself. This beer is clear, with only a slight cloudiness and lots of incredibly tiny bubbles serving fizzy realness. There’s a fresh, clean, hoppy nose that tells you you’re gonna love sipping on this while on the porch waiting for that grill to finish its work, or just after getting home (or hey, during – I’m not the boss of you) your local Pride parade. The taste is hop-forward, but with a clean, springwater finish that had me going for sip after sip.
Then there’s that citrus. You’ve definitely got a punch of citra hops and grapefruit zest, two great tastes that blend well in this beer. Citrus hits you first, and while it’s in-your-face, it’s not overpowering. No, this isn’t the kind of IPA that makes you think you’ve lost a bet by slamming way too much hop-forward power onto your tastebuds. (It also doesn’t give your tum that ooky feeling when strong citrus and pine drop in.) Pine is the secondary note, and it plays well with the citrus, taking over but not killing the fun. I’m actually shocked that a beer with such a low ABV can give so much flavor. No watered down mess here, though that touch of springwater to the finish gives this brew a light, airy vibe that’s perfect for summertime.
It’s the official beer of The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative, and that makes my wee heart go pitter-pat with joy. Enjoy this beer year-round, or go in search of it before Pride month wraps. You’ll be glad you did.
