Most well-known for bringing the hefeweizen (mit lemon) to the West Coast in the 1980’s, the Widmer Brothers have established a solid line of regularly available brews, seasonal brews, and limited edition releases. Today I’m opening their take on my favorite ale type, the IPA, with Widmer Brothers Broken Halo IPA.
Widmer Brothers Broken Halo IPA poured a honey-yellow into the glass with a vigorous, off-white head and mild carbonation. The nose was a classic Northwest combination of garden flowers and pine.
Widmer Brothers Broken Halo IPA opened with crisp grapefruit and pine flavors backed by a sweet malt backbone with hints of caramel. Something seemed a bit off about the mouth feel… maybe a bit more oily and metallic than I’m used to. It wasn’t distracting, but it was always there in the background when I really concentrated on all the flavors. Broken Halo ended on a nice, hop-centric fade that outlasted whatever funkiness it was I tasted earlier.
If I had to describe the Widmer Brothers’ brewing capability and selection with only a few descriptors, “competently executed”, “respectful and representative of the style”, and “always good, never great” are a few that come to mind. Widmer Brothers’ Broken Halo IPA completely falls within this stereotype… a great session beer that hits all the right notes for the IPA style but lacking the depth to be truly memorable.
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