Getting local

So tonights beer is one of the Las Vegas valley, while it may be sin city it does lack in the craft beer department. My first beer from the local breweries is from local brewer Tenaya Creek. Founded in 1999 by a pair of brothers from Utah it is one of few distributing brewers in the state of Nevada. I have two brews with me tonight but i am only going to start with the one in my hand.
This is their IPA, Hop Ride. This is a traditional American IPA with a sharp bite and a wonderful medium body. This is a strongly hopped beer and not for the weak of heart. They dry hop in this ale to provide a wonderful aromatic release when poured with a nice head. they use a combination of Magnum and Summit hops for bitterness and the classic Cascade hop for that rounded bouquet that you look for in an IPA.
The first look of this beer is that of a slightly amber color with a creamy white head. The aroma is strong and very floral. The head stays strong for a while after the pour is done. With a great bubble structure that almost looks like champagne. The first sip is spicy and powerful. From the on set you know this is not a beer for the faint of heart. Most typical beer drinkers are not going to dive into this strong of a beer but in my eyes it is a way of judging a brewery as a whole. This is a sold version of an IPA and because it is dry hopped it is much more American than a truly traditional IPA which would only use hops before the yeast is pitched. The after taste while strong is not offensive but could be too much for a light beer drinker. This wold be wonderful with a spicy dish or something with a strong red sauce. This beer is well balanced and sold in flavor. For a brew in a city that lacks a brewing culture this is a sold IPA that is not too light like many of the bigger company IPA's. I would say it is sold and not dumbed down. If your in Vegas and find it on tap i would recommend having a pint. My other sips from this brewery have been tasty also so try a local sin city brew. On that note there is a Sin City Brewery which I would not spend money on, very basic and not exciting beers, sorry just the truth.

Taste 8
Body 8
Head 7
Quality 8
Overall 8

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