Bengali’s huge mandarin, grapefruit and resinous aroma isn’t for the faint of heart. The medium-low caramel and grainy malt aid in providing a counterpoint for the hoppy yet clean aroma. It’s also a stunning beer with a solid amber color with orange highlights that really shine due to the brilliant clarity.
Personally, American IPAs shouldn’t forget about the malt as that’s truly the foundation for any beer. Bengali doesn’t disappoint on this front with a toasty, caramel malt backbone that allows for a heavy heaping of mandarin, lemon and piney hops. The medium-plus bitterness still swings the balance to the hops, however. And for all those hop heads out there, you will enjoy the dry, resinous finish.
Bengali is an IPA that almost everyone can fall in love with. It has at least a little bit of everything – moving beyond the substantial dosing of American hops that's usually found in generic, one-note IPAs. A truly unique brew that tiptoes with the American Amber style but stops short.