Starr Hill Resinate Imperial Red IPA
I want to first thank Starr Hill not just for sending along these samples of Resinate Imperial Red IPA, but for crafting a new product that doesn’t bow to trendy conventions. This 7.7% ABV (72 IBU) IPA isn’t overly fruit-forward or mellow as many examples of imperial IPAs have been as of late. Resinate packs in a hoppy punch balanced wonderfully but a solid malt backbone — a combination we just don’t see too often in today’s market.
The nose and flavors of Resinate are chock full of piney goodness with a healthy dose of grapefruit and cattiness lingering at the edges. The malt bill delivers a balanced array of toasted bread, grain and caramel, offering some stability to the affair. And while the imperial IPA is wonderfully hoppy, it doesn’t overwhelm the senses thanks to that malt backbone, instead tingling the tongue with a moderate bitterness that fades evenly along with everything else to the gently warming and long-lasting finish.
Now, I’m not usually a fan of red ales or IPAs, but I am a fan of hops. And much like my review of Green Flash’s Hop Head Red so many years ago, the more hops that you throw at a style of which I’m not particularly fond, the more I will like it. Well, I think I may have found my favorite red ale/IPA in Starr Hill’s Resinate Imperial Red IPA.
This is a review of a promotional sample.