Marin Brewing Co. Indian Pale Ale

One month down, 334 more beers to go!  Day three of the California-themed tasting takes us to the North Bay to enjoy a fine beer by the Marin Brewing Company.  This is another brewery I'm not familiar with, but the label of the Marin Brewing Co. IPA had so many awards and medal posted to them I wasn't sure I was looking at a beer or a military officer!  Also, it was a Christmas gift from my fantastic girlfriend to kick-start the year of beer. 

Poured in the glass, Marin Brewing Co. IPA was a cloudy yellow with green highlights (only when the light hit the glass right) and a sticky but short lived off-white head.  The nose was big citrus, with notes of mango and papaya... not a bad way to be introduced to an IPA!

At the end of the day, it's the taste that matters, and Marin Brewing got it right with this IPA.  A big, dry but still sweet tropical fruit front greeted my palette and stayed around for a while.  Rather than getting doughy, the beer ended with a nice fade to dried mango and apricots and a slight bitterness.

Short and sweet review, but so was the beer tasting.  Highly drinkable, excellently flavored without a hint of pine that defines the Pacific Northwest IPA, and a wonderful compliment to the Thai soup I'm eating...