A true India Pale Ale. High in gravity and loaded with hops. We add cascade hops straight into the fermentor creating a full citrus nose and lasting aftertaste. This crisp brew is perfect for those warm days of summer .

SPECS: 13 SRM, OG 1.058, FG 1.010, 6.1% abv, 48 IBUs. Malts: Maris Otter, Pils, Munich, Cara Pils, Black. Hops: Golding, Cascade, Magnum

Newport Storm Maelstrom IPA pours to a deep golden color with a slight orange tint. The beer has a generous creamy head and a slightly toasty nose with a hint of grassy hops. A generous layer of Brussels lace clings to the sides of my glass as the brew descends.

The palate is medium in body, and lacks the big caramel malt flavor that you’ll find in most IPAs. Coastal Extreme (the makers of the Newport Storm line) like to do things a bit differently. But there are some interesting pils and Munich malt flavors here.

In the finish, there is a ton of bitterness, a touch of citric flavor, and some grassy hop notes. Not a lot of aroma though, just a lot of bitterness. I like that well enough, and I like this beer, too. It’s very flavorful and you can easily drink a lot of it. But it reminds me more of a really hoppy pils than an IPA.

Some late addition hops definitely seem to be in order to call this an IPA, and a bit more body, too. That said, hedonistically, I really like this beer. Hop heads will enjoy the intense bitterness, and it’s a natural with spicy fare like a plate full of spicy buffalo wings.

The lighter body certainly increases drinkability. And you can look at a beer on two levels: (1) how it fits to style and (2) how much you enjoy it. So forget what they’re calling Maelstrom (IPA) and just enjoy it. I know I am.

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