Welcome to California’s Napa Valley, where you can find some of the world’s finest wines and...beer?  That is right, tucked in the midst of lush, sun-drenched vineyards bursting with deep purple bunches of cabernet grapes lies Napa Smith Brewery.  They offer a CCOF certified organic India Pale Ale, which I will now sample.

Appearance: I am serving this well chilled in my Strongbow tumbler.  It pours a rich pinesap color with a nice tight head.  The brew stays hazy as I hold it up to the light.

Smell: big grapefruit notes with some hints of butterscotch and faint pine resin.  It is actually very similar to a barleywine.

Taste: sweet candied dark fruit seems to dominate with piney and floral hops. The taste is good but unbalanced.  The hops seem to be all over the place.  The finish is dry with faint hop oils.

This was a decent IPA with some nice flavor, just needs a little cleaning up.  The bottle states it can be paired with curry, Buffalo wings, and aged blue cheese.    Look for other Napa Smith brews at your local ABC.

Beer blogger Adam Shugan lives and breathes craft beer in north central Florida. He's also the manager of our Silver Springs Rd, Ocala, store.

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