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64oz Growler

This is yet another great beer received from the man himself Kegatron, thanks again Heath! 5 Cs IPA has a body that glows sunset orange with a slight haziness throughout. The dish soap white head rises to two fingers on the pour and barely settles below that. The head is super creamy with sticky lacing covering the glass 100%. It's been awhile since I've seen a head take hold such as this one. This is one fine looking IPA to put it lightly.

Big juicy, fruity citrus greets me the second I jam my beak down into the glass. Grapefruit, tangerine, and even some mango jump out while an undercurrent of pine holds it's own in the back. The pine actually stands out more with the deeper pulls I take off this brew. The citrus is of the sweetened, candied variety and sits atop a rich caramel backbone. There is a good deal of hops tossed into this IPA and the aromas range from citrus to pine and spicy to herbal all at once. There's a very complex hoppiness to the nose.

All those hop complexities wash across the tongue with each sip. Caramel and a somewhat sweet almost tea like quality lay down the base for the generous hopping. The hops come across as citrusy up front (grapefruit, orange, and tangerine) while they're met with a nice spicy character. The piney, resinous quality doesn't come across until the swallow and slaps down a solid layer of bitterness that I'm hugely fond of. The resin lingers on my tongue long after each drink has disappeared.

The mouthfeel couldn't get much better. A soft carbonation and a moderate body make for an incredibly velvety feel. The bitterness lingers along the sides of the tongue and in the throat.

Drinkability is way up there. A pint disappears far too quickly. While the hops bring some bitterness it never gets too much to enjoy multiple glasses.

Portsmouth brews some great beers and 5 C's is right up there at the top. This really is a good IPA, one I'd love to be able to pick up in this area. I'd pass by a lot of others on the shelves to get to this one. Thanks for the great brew Heath, send more!

Reviewed: 2/28/09

Served In: Pint Glass