Left Hand Brewing Nitro Sawtooth
Just because I like two things — in this case IPAs and brews on nitro — doesn’t mean I’m going to like them when combined. Nitro doesn’t just alter the mouthfeel of a beer. It can dramatically redefine the flavors held within, as well. Such was the case with this bottle of Left Hand Brewing Nitro Sawtooth that I picked up and enjoyed back in late June.
This particular bottle had a best by date of 5/16/2014, so it wasn’t entirely fresh, but at a month and a day was it too old either. I mention the date because I’m not sure if the relative age or the nitro has had the effect on the beer as noted below. Either way, it ain’t great.
Appearance
Nitro Sawtooth certainly looks great as the bubbles cascade down on the pour (captured in the above photo), resulting in a slightly hazy, copperish amber with a dense cap of creamy foam.
Aroma
Pince, citrusy hops, bready malt, grapefruit and honey all combine in an aroma that smells faintly old or subdued.
Taste
Again, I’m not sure if it’s the age of this particular bottle or the effect of the nitro on the beer, but the flavors come across muted and slightly old. The hop character is more leafy than fruity like the normal version of Sawtooth. Bready, caramel malt does it’s best to bolster the hop profile, but it ends up coming across more like iced tea than anything else. The beer is medium bodied and perhaps too soft on the palate.
Overall
I’ve really enjoyed Left Hand’s normal version of their Sawtooth IPA, but when served on nitro, it’s just not my thing. Again, I don’t know if it’s the age of this particular bottle (a month still seems fairly young to me) or if it’s the nitro, but this wasn’t that great of a beer. It’s flavors were muted and reminded more of iced tea than an IPA. Perhaps, I’ll look for a more fresh bottle the next time I see it on shelves and give it a second chance.
Rating: 3/5
