I stopped by the 405 Brewery on 4/05 to help them celebrate. They had a delicious and rare keg of barrel aged ESP aged for 18 months in bourbon barrels on peaches (it was excellent but no growler fills) as well as two brand new offerings, an East Coast style IPA and an export stout. This one is 405’s first released IPAs, which is a little hard to believe. This one’s a brewery only release for the foreseeable future.

Company: 405 Brewing Company

Location: Norman, OK

ABV: 6%

Style/Description: India Pale Ale

Price: $5 for a draft, $8 for a 32oz growler

Appearance: Opaque golden pour, thick and completely hazy. Moderate head, some lace.

Nose: Plenty of sweet citrus fruits on the nose, tropicals too. Mango, pineapple, peaches and blueberries are literally making my mouth water.

Taste: The taste doesn’t quite deliver on the tropical fruits in the aroma, but still present in spades are the orange citrus notes and plenty of bitter grapefruit peel. Some lemony zest thrown in for good measure. Hops are pretty bitter and aggressive, in a very good way. Resinous with a strange spicy bitterness reminiscent of aspirin.

Finish: Fruits come back in a bit on the finish, with some of the bitterness still tingling on the back of the tongue.

Overall: Tasty beer here, and a solid first try at an IPA for Norman’s craft brewery. Thick, hazy and bitter, just how I like ‘em. Worth a trip to the 405 Brewery for a glass and a growler fill.

Rating: 4/5