Recently City Beer Store celebrated its fifth anniversary and with it came special beers for the occasion. Among the array of experimental ales was a particularly zesty IPA brewed over at Speakeasy by City Beer and San Francisco Brewer’s Guild.

This beer pours a dark, amber orange and has a soft, off-white head. The aroma captures the floral and pine notes in the hops, giving it an extra-fresh scent. Along with this, a light to medium body prepares the palate for the bold, but not overpowering, orange-rind flavors with a tickling medium carbonation. This IPA drinks really smoothly for its 7.6% ABV with a subtle malty character that serves as a nice backbone to the hops and adds a hint of caramel. The freshness of the hops gives the beer a grassy finish, and brings out tangy grapefruit flavors that complement the orange for a fuller citrus profile. All of theses characteristics work together to make this a supremely refreshing beer. It’s a great match for the pizza-and-IPA combination, and would also go well with simple appetizers of soft cheeses or mild cold cuts on crunchy French bread.

Overall, this beer stands well on its on and I couldn’t help returning to the bar for more. Try this one before it runs out or wait until next year for more surprises from City Beer.

Photo credit: www.foodgps.com

• Tag: anniversary special, beer, city beer store, craft beer, IPA