Today I have the third beer in the latest Lakefront Variety Pack. This is the second IPA included, but is of the standard IPA. I have been eagerly awaiting this one.

A very nice gold, maybe light amber with a persistent white head. Looks like higher carbonation. A slight haze but it is almost clear. Just what a delicious IPA should look like.

In the aroma profile we have a predominant grapefruit along with pine. Decent malty grain back up. A sawdust layer there, but not what I’d call woody or veggie, more like you were cutting some pine boards. Fairly big aromas here, but not extreme.

The taste is almost all grapefruit, but different from the aroma. This is more red grapefruit. There is still a good hunk of grainy in the background. Has a Munich Malt’s slight sweetness and nuttiness. Good taste combos that are upfront but not huge or too strong. 

The head and the aromas just keep on keeping on. A bit more than middle of the road mouthfeel, but I’m not getting the advertised 50 IBU. I think it needs a bit, maybe more than a bit more bittering. But that does not mean that it is over-sweet or heavy feeling.

Now that it has warmed a bit, I think the piney angle is coming out along with some under ripe peach, but in a good way, and now just the slightest yeast nod.

The Lakefront IPA reminds me of the old school IPAs before the IBU wars started. It is balanced, but big where it needs to be. Hoppy, but still lets the malt poke through. It really has a lot going for it.

However, I would like it to have a bit more bittering as it is edging towards the sweet side.

But I definitely picking this one up again as these old schoolers are hard to find these days. I am going to have to go with a 3.5 out of 5 with Lakefront IPA