For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the O’Fallon 5 Day IPA for the first time. This beer is brewed by the O’Fallon Brewery located in O’Fallon, Missouri.
Let’s just go ahead and jump right into the commercial description from the website, ofallonbrewery.com.
We dry-hop this American Style India Pale Ale with seven grains and four domestic hop varieties by adding dry whole hops to the finishing tanks so the beer rests “on top” of the hops for five extra days! Malty sweetness up front with big cascade and glacier hops in the finish – a wonderfully drinkable IPA!
How ’bout a taste?
This brew has an ABV of 6.1% and comes in a 12 oz. bottle.
The appearance was of a light amber to copper color. Quite a bit of burnt orange was showing around the edges. It’s very clear also. A barely off white colored head that had very nice size, retention and lacing stood atop the liquid. The cap was soft and somewhat creamy looking.
As I stuck my nose in I was greeted with decent bursts of grapefruit citrus and the most faint caramel malt. I found some type of toasted wheat bread along with light touches of grain and a piny hop to finish it off. It smelled “ok” enough, however it seemed a little relaxed.
The taste revealed a grapefruit citrus with a sturdy hop bite. The caramel sweetness was kept to a minimum, although it seemed as though a biscuit and graininess really stood out more in the taste than it did in the smell. The bitterness was quite pleasant, but the overall flavor profile was relatively timid compared to other American style IPA’s.
The mouthfeel was medium to medium/thin. It was crisp, sort of snappy, clean, smooth, refreshing and thirst quenching. A nice bit of flavor was left behind and, actually, I found it to have a smidgen of warmth to it.
Overall, the O’Fallon 5 Day IPA, seemed to be somewhat average for the style. Everything about the aroma and taste seemed subdued, relaxed and apprehensive. With that being said, I still enjoyed the drink and found nothing bad or off putting about it. In fact, I think this could be a great introductory IPA for someone interested in the style. It’s easily drinkable and has a lot of the proper characteristics of an IPA. I would never turn it down if it was offered, yet I think that I could find a much better IPA if need be.
What brewery do you guys think makes a great introductory IPA?
Leave a comment and tell me all about it.
Thanks. Cheers.
Score: 3.7 out of 5
Grade: B
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