Judge's Review: 93 Rating - Good Behavior by Odell Brewing Co.

Good Behavior by Odell Brewing Co. was judged beer as a specialty IPA, or Category 21B in the BJCP guidelines. The reason is that even though it's not a widely recognized style like white IPA, black IPA, red IPA, etc. There are a few of these commercially available lower-ABV and lower-carb IPAs being produced out there. The difference between a standard American pale ale and a low ABV IPA is going to lay in the hop intensity. You are going to look for for an easy drinking pint with a much higher and bright hop punch than what you are going to look for in an APA, especially in the hop flavor and aroma.

The beer poured a hazy light yellow with a white frothy long lasting head. It's almost wheaty in appearance. What I really like is before the glass even gets close to my face I can smell juicy and intense fruity hop aroma. I get mostly Pineapple/Orange from this with a very low piney edge. Needless to say this beer hits the IPA range in hop aroma with that high hop nose. The malt is very subtle and soft, I get a little honey and bread from the malt. The beer is otherwise clean. I can't stress enough how impressed I am with the hop aroma. I suspect this beer is very fresh just based on how vivid the hops are. The flavor matches the aroma pretty much step by step. There is no surprises here. The hop flavor is juicy and very enjoyable. The hop flavor is high, but not resinous. It's actually a bit refreshing. I get more citrus in the flavor than I got in the aroma, but that tropical pineapple note carries into the finish. The bitterness is soft and just balances the lightly sweet malt. The carbonation and bitterness help the beer finish medium-dry. The carbonation is average and not overdone. The body of the beer is on the lighter side, in the medium-light range. There is a soft velvety feel to the beer, I would not be surprised if this beer has a touch of wheat in it.As a matter of fact, even being billed as crushable or lower-ABV IPA, it's presenting more like a good white IPA to me.

In the end, I have to say I was upset that this beer was gone, and it went fast. It was crushable for sure. What got me was how fresh the beer appeared to be, and that really makes a difference in a style like this. I would say it's one of the better lower ABV IPA's I've had in recent memory for sure. Even in lighter styles I like to see a bit more viscosity in the beer so it's not quite so watery. This beer was not watery, but it was a bit lighter bodied than it probably should have been... just a bit.