Angry Cedar Brewing Hoptimism IPA

The Angry Cedar Brewing Company is in Waverly, Iowa. Their motto on the bottle: “When Life Gives You Water, Make Beer” Their name comes from the 2008 flooding of the Cedar River. 

This 6.25% ABV beer pours a bright and shiny dark copper in color. There is a short head of off-white foam, creamy, but fading relatively quickly. The aroma is citrus, orange, grapefruit, and apricot, over caramel malt. The taste follows the aromas, adding some light sweetened tea and lemon. The finish is very bitter, with a grapefruit astringency. It is nicely carbonated, tingling the mouth, but also smooth and round. Early bottled offerings from Angry Cedar had potential, but failed to deliver. This one, however, is a solid and enjoyable effort.