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Segal Ranch Session

California
United States
Green Flash Segal Ranch Session Beer
Judges Ratings 
2 Reviews
77
Aroma:
18 / 24
Flavor:
32 / 40
Appearance:
6 / 6
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
14 / 20
Description 

Segal Ranch Session IPA features Tomahawk, Centennial and Cascade hops that were hand-selected by our Brewmaster exclusively from our friends at Segal Ranch in Yakima, Washington. The verdant pungency and citrus aromatics from Tomahawk hops serve as the perfect base layer to allow the flavors of bright floral and pine sap from Centennial hops to emerge on the palate. Notes of resinous citrus from Segal Ranch’s high-oil Cascade hops shine through the finish.

Beverage Profile
ABV: 
4.5%
IBUs: 
65
Hops: 
Tomahawk, Centennial, Cascade
Judges Review 
Josh Weikert's picture
Judges Rating:
84
Aroma:
20 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
35 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
14 / 20

Session IPAs are a curious (and, some would say, difficult) balance of aggressive hopping and lighter malts/lower ABVs, and they can come across, to some, as overly bitter hop water. This beer doesn't go that far, but there's certainly an argument to be made that it doesn't offer much beyond a naked hop character that lacks sufficient malt contrast.

The beer pours gold and clear with a foamy white head. The initial aromas are of grapefruit and citrus, with no real malt presence, and there's not much development as it warms and opens up. The aroma is also surprisingly restrained: you have to hunt for the hop aroma, which is surprising in a beer with nothing much to get in the way of it!

It's pretty rare for me to note "high bittering" as an initial flavor, but that's the dominant flavor here. Everything else – even the hop flavor, strangely – is decidedly secondary to that. In terms of malt flavor, there's a hint of graininess, and a medium-low level of fleshy citrus, but that's about it. The finish is dry and a little austere, with slight astringency that is helped along by the relatively high level of carbonation.

The bottom line? This is a fairly one-note and nondescript Session IPA that definitely features the bittering elements of hop character over its flavors or aromas. This wasn't an unpleasant beer to drink, but I doubt I'd ever go back for a second – and that's not good news for any session beer.

Michael McGuire's picture
Judges Rating:
70
Aroma:
15 / 24
Appearance:
5 / 6
Flavor:
29 / 40
Mouthfeel:
7 / 10
Overall Impression:
14 / 20

This beer poured clear orange with a thick white head that dissipated quickly. The initial and persistent aroma was bitterly hoppy without any floral or fruity elements. The taste evidenced both malt, though without any discernible or notable characters, and the same bitter hoppiness experienced in the aroma. The high IBUs expected for the style were present, but primarily through early (rather than late) kettle additions, resulting in a very bitter but notably unflavorful taste profile. The body was a bit thin, appropriately lacking alcohol strength, but also bereft of pleasant palate sensations. Overall, this beer came off as a bland and uninspired Session IPA, perhaps lacking in type or diversity of hop varietals and/or the timing of their addition to the kettle.

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