Squatters IPA
The other day I received a promotional package from a PR company representing Utah Brewers Cooperative, the makers of Wasatch Brewery and Squatters Beers. Amongst the bottles was Squatters IPA, an award winning (GABF Gold Medal winner in 2004 and 2007 along with other accolades) 6.5% ABV brew. I had heard of the brewery through stories from my father-in-law, but I had never had the opportunity to try out any of their products until now.
Squatters may be based out of Utah, but their IPA drinks as though it’s rooted firmly on the West Coast. This is a fruity, hop-forward beer that packs in all sorts of great flavor, but it’s also got an excellent balance. Squatters IPA uses a premium English malt to offset the grapefruits and oranges that the hop blend brings to the party. It’s definitely one of the more balanced American IPAs I’ve had in a while.
The end result is a full-flavored IPA that more than displays why it’s won a few awards in its time.
Appearance
Squatters IPA pours a golden amber in color with a long lasting stack of white foam that left behind wisps of lace as it dropped. The brew has an active carbonation as seen below:
Squatters IPA activity. https://t.co/rT0h3reTlD
— The Barley Blog (@barleyblog) June 17, 2013
Aroma
Fruity, floral hops fill the nose with juicy grapefruit and orange in tow. There’s a decent bit of pine resin in the mix as well as a smooth malt sweetness laying low in the background.
Taste
Ooh, that’s smooth. Juicy grapefruit and orange arrive immediately with a good bit of resin. Squatters IPA has a solid, bready malt backbone to temper the hop character into an even flavor profile. The moderately high level of bitterness rounds out the beer as the citrusy hops and a soft sweetness linger for a good while in the crisp finish. At 6.5% ABV, Squatters IPA has a subtle warmth after the first few sips.
Overall
Had this beer been presented to me in a blind tasting, I would have presumed that Squatters IPA were directly from a West Coast brewer. And while Utah certainly is closer to the Pacific than my current location, it’s still a surprise that this wonderfully fruity and hoppy beer has it’s origins in 45th state. If this is how the first sample from this package turned out, I can’t wait to dive into the rest.
Rating: 4/5
This is a review of a promotional sample from the brewery.
