Long Trail Ales Space Juice
I’ve had a few IPAs from Vermont’s Long Trail over the years, but none of them have combined the array of flavors found in Space Juice. This imperial IPA weighs in at 8.7% ABV and 82 IBU. It also pulls from all aspects of the IPA world — not just fruitiness, not just pine, or bitterness — everything. I was honestly expecting this beer to be a mellow, fruit-forward and low-bitterness affair. What I encountered, instead, was a dynamic IPA with everything that I personally love in the style.
Space Juice presents an insanely fruity aroma that takes your mind and expectations down one path. The flavor, however, yanks you hard left into another, delivery sticky, resinous pine to accompany a tropical fruit salad packed with grapefruit, mango and pineapple. A fairly potent hop bite just pushes everything over the edge, preparing your tastebuds for lift-off. Throw in a soft malt sweetness and lightly warming finish and you’ve got yourself a prime example of an imperial IPA.
Long Trail has crafted some tasty IPAs in the past, but they have themselves an outstanding beer in Space Juice. It pulls from all realms of the IPA world to launch you headlong into orbit. Wow.