Mohegan Cafe B.I.P.A.

Took a trip to Block Island this past weekend and had a chance to stop by the Island's only microbrewer, Mohegan. This late in the season they only had a few choices left and this lucky guy to taste them all (save for the chili pepper ale... yeah, no thanks).

I had a pint of the Block Island Pale Ale on draft, I think for $5.50...

The Pour - A deep red/amber unfiltered pint. This is definitely not what I had anticipated or wanted from a Pale Ale, first impression is that this might be a miss labeled red ale. There was a good finger of fresh and frothy head though which kept me interested. Head was whispy and enticing but dissolved almost immediately leaving light lacing.

4/10

Nose- Despite the surprisingly fluffy head, there was no hops present in the nose. Actually, there was no nose present in the nose other than the vague bitter-sweet scents that only served to prove that this wasn't a glass of water.

1/10

Mouthfeel - Too thick to be really refreshing and lacking in the IPAs hoppy crispness, this beer doesn't really have a leg to stand on. I would give it something for not being overly thick, it's at least in the right ball park but playing the wrong sport.

3/10

Taste - Ohhh, ok, I see the mistake now. This isn't an IPA. The malt is pretty up front lending a pleasant sweetness but the desiccated, passed-over mummies of buds that this brewer interpreted as hops left nothing but a hint of uninteresting bitterness. No depth and no freshness; I would feel awkward using beer words like 'citrusy', 'floral' or 'IPA' near the brewer. There is also a fairly strong tang to it, I think it might be brewed with an english bitter yeast or belgian strain. This element is not a terrible play on the expected style but it's unnecessary and ultimately just becomes another disappointment.

4/10

So in all the B.I.P.A. review is pretty damn harsh, 12/40, normally a score I'd save for very bottom of the beer barrel. The majority of points were lost due to the fact this beer seems to have been brewed by someone who has only third person accounts of what an IPA should be. To propose it's too sweet, too dark and not nearly hoppy enough, is probably the nicest thing I can say about it. The menu didn't help by proclaiming that it was the hoppiest thing available and that "if you're a fan of the IPA, this is for you." I mean... really?

But of course, it is a microbrew and the only one for miles around at that. One could do much worse than the B.I.P.A. (the party next to us was actually ordering 6 packs of Bud), and it's great to support local industry and especially small-town local beer. I just wish the stuff could have better...