The brewers at Fire Mountain must be on some sort of an IPA kick. I really dug the classic, hoppy
Bogart when it came out a few months ago. Now there's the Tan Line, billed as a "summer" IPA. How does it stand up?
It pours a cloudy golden color. Smells like citrus. Malty with a nice creamy body. A little citrus and a bit of hop bitterness, but not an overwhelming hop flavor. Very light-tasting despite it's appearance. The hops and light malts are interestingly balanced, almost as if the malt was more of a focus here than the hop? Honestly, it tasted to me more like a standard pale than an IPA.
If I were to choose between Fire Mountain's two newest IPA offerings, I'd go for the Bogart. Don't get me wrong, I definitely think that they both have their own place... I love big fat hop flavors that punch me in the face with bitterness. If that's not always your thing and you'd prefer a lighter, crisper (yet still creamy!) IPA variety for your hot, sunny summer picnic, grab the Tan Line. They're both solid ales, so cheers to Fire Mountain!