Judge's Review: 86 Rating - Big Slide IPA by Lake Placid Craft Brewing Co.

Lake Placid’s Big Slide IPA is being evaluated as an American IPA (2015 BJCP Category 21A).

It pours a light amber with a hint of haze and sits beneath an ivory, persistent head. The drinker’s first impression will be an IPA in all of its permutations. Moderate grapefruit, light orange, resin and a bit of grass dominates over subtle caramel and toast notes. As it warms, the caramel becomes more dominant. 

The flavor follows that of the aroma. Initially, the medium caramel provides an impression of sweetness that is swiftly pushed aside by the moderately high bitterness and intense resin and citrus. The beer finishes with a semi-dry impression with lingering resin that begins to build, sip after sip, and is accompanied by a restrained and smooth alcohol note.

Big Slide is a solid offering by Lake Placid that recalls an earlier time when IPAs were actually bitter and less fruit-forward. Highly quaffable and refreshing, if this was my local IPA I wouldn’t think twice about ordering it.