Beer: Maine Beer Company - Lunch IPA

This is the second offering from Maine Beer Company in Freeport and it's another great one. They've given their IPA quite the identity to define itself. When first opening a bottle in Maine I assumed the title meant this would be a great IPA to pair with the mid-day meal, but looking at the label I discovered this little tribute:
"Lunch is a special whale that has been spotted off the Maine coast since 1982. She has what looks like a bite taken out of her fin which adds to her unique character. We dedicate this beer to her determination and persistence."

Appearance: A dull orange hue with a notable cloudiness just the way it should be: unfiltered with lots of particulate matter. The head is off-white and of a similar texture to the previously reviewed stout. There's lots of heavy lacing as the level descends and a thin head is retained until the last sip, very impressive.

Aroma: The familiar floral hoppiness is present, evidence of liberal dry-hopping, but there's an interesting sweetness there too, subtly fruity, very pleasant.

Taste: Big bright bitterness as expected but that fruity character is unmistakably raspberry/strawberry, a fantastic dimension to add to an IPA. The flavor doesn't go very far or develop as much as I would like from a big IPA, but the simplicity is something to be admired because it is so delicious from beginning to end.

Mouthfeel: Similar feel and finish on this as the stout, light, finished clean, minimal hop oilyness. The alcohol content is perfect to keep this beer tight and crisp, 7%.

Overall: A lovely IPA, the bitterness you expect from the style with the light fruit to balance. Raspberry and strawberry presence is so welcome to round out the otherwise hop-centric IPA style. Hophead purists need not get their hopes up; this beer should be enjoyed with the expectation of consistent deliciousness. It could easily be used as an introductory IPA to someone just trying out the style because one sip will hook them for life and introduce them to a new exciting world of fine brewing.

5/5