CLASS V ~ WHITEWATER BREWING

Class V is an IPA from Ottawa Valley brewery, Whitewater Brewing. Sampled fro a tin, from the brewery, the beer poured an ever so slightly hazy deep golden amber, capped with a frothy off white head, which struck around for a few minutes before disappearing, into a small collar and a few patchy bits of lace. The aroma is on the light side and contains subtle notes of bread, caramel malts, a tiny bit of fruitiness and citrusy hop notes. The beer itself was more malt forward than many other IPA’s, and did not taste anywhere close to the 72 IBU’s it advertises. The beer begins with bready malts, a little caramel, a touch of stone fruit and piecrust, followed by lots of grapefruit and a touch of pine from the hops. The bitterness outlasts the malty sweetness in the aftertaste. I actually really liked the balance of the malty sweetness and the hops – I have friends who generally avoid hoppy IPA’s but would gladly drink this. The mouthfeel was smooth, medium-light and somewhat dry. The carbonation was on the soft side. I would even classify this as an English IPA instead of a North American one. A very pleasant brew, worth a try. BTW Whitewater Brewing is located in the Ottawa Valley along the Ottawa River, well known for its rapids. Rapids have a classification system with a ‘Class V’ rapids being the most challenging. 5.5 % from Forrester’s Falls, Ontario 72 IBU
Hops: Cascade and Centennial