It is always wise to waft. Wave the air over the mug and the first notes that hit your nose are yeasty, but then the citrusy scent emerges; the first sip on the other hand conveys a champagne-like lightness and a strong hops flavor.

Like most American IPAs, this focuses on a thin and bitter flavor with the herblike qualities of the hops emerging as the dominant note, behind which is a malty beer with overtones of blackstrap molasses. A slight vinegar flavor saturates this mixture.

Tropical-style beers emerged as IPA brewers found that they could capitalize on the grapefruit, lemon, pineapple, and citron flavors of these finely-tuned beers. In this case, the flavors meld into something more like a port wine take on a beer, perfect for the humid summer months.

Tags: beer, IPA, paradigm brewing, tropical precision