Beer: Flossmoor Station Lady Columbia IPA
Brewery Location: Flossmoor, IL
Beer Style: American IPA
ABV: 7.5%
This is my second bottled offering from Flossmoor. I was a fan of the brown ale that I had, and I've got high hopes for this beer. They actually brew several varieties of IPAs, and you can tell what one you are having based on the wax top on the bottles. They use the same bottle for each of their IPAs. This blue wax topped bomber is the Lady Columbia IPA.
This beer pours a hazy golden color with one finger's worth of off-white head that faded quickly into decent spotty lacing. The nose hits pretty nicely on this beer and is full of pine, grapefruit, and other citrus spice, and only really a touch of caramel malt base on the nose. The flavor starts with plenty of hop bitterness followed by a big rush of citrus fruit and resinous pine flavor. The bitterness upfront settled down a bit about half way down my glass and then the caramel malt really provided a decent balance to the hops. I think this beer was brewed with only Columbus hops, but if anyone knows for sure please let me know. The wasn't much carbonation in this offering and it left an almost astringent bitterness lingering after the swallow. I am fine with that, but I can see how others would not like that in the finish. I think one bomber was just about perfect for me, and I would very much like to try the other IPA styles from Flossmoor.
I've yet to be disappointed in a beer from Flossmoor Station. This beer runs a bit higher on the IPA meter than most. It has a huge heaping of citrus flavor, but also has the bitterness to match, and many people just don't like that, but if you are a hop-head at all this beer is worth getting your hands on. Another great beer from the duo up in Flossmoor.
Cheers!
Matt
3 comments:
I was at Prairie Moon in Evanston, IL over the weekend and split a bottle of this with Claire. We thought it was wonderful! And I agree -- big, big, BIG on the hops. Not the best food-pairing beer, but it went well with some of the heartier dishes our table ordered.
Rod and Jess also brought us back a bottle of Flossmoor Station IPA from their jaunt up to Chicago a couple months back. I'm pretty sure it was the same one -- blue wax, Lady Columbia -- but I'd have to check the bottle to know for sure (their bottles are incredible....I had to keep it).
Is it possible to get this stuff in the Indy area? I am assuming they have no real distribution but am hoping to be told I am wrong. I have always heard good things about Flossmoor but have never had the opportunity to get there.
they do not come to Indiana at all as far as I know, but Chicago does sell it at liquor stores, so you don't have to go to Flossmoor brewpub to get their beers if you are ever at least in the Chicago area.
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