#FloridaBeerFriday: Sunshine City IPA From Green Bench Brewing Company

Every week, we take a look at a craft beer brewed in Florida. Follow #FloridaBeerFriday for more reviews of Sunshine State brews. Get out there and #DrinkLocal. This week, I'm looking at the Sunshine City IPA from Green Bench Brewing Company, a brewery out of St Petersburg that constantly surprise with...

By Doug Fairall

September 9, 2016

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Every week, we take a look at a craft beer brewed in Florida. Follow #FloridaBeerFriday for more reviews of Sunshine State brews. Get out there and #DrinkLocal.

This week, I'm looking at the Sunshine City IPA from Green Bench Brewing Company, a brewery out of St. Petersburg that constantly surprises with its ability to create good products.

Readers of Florida Beer Friday are familiar with my enjoyment of Green Bench's beers: beers like St. Peter’s Saison de Banc Vert, Colliding Galaxies' Sour Double IPA, Saison de Banc Noir, and even Monsieur Ed, a collaboration with Tarpon Springs' Saint Somewhere.

Sunshine IPA is part of the company's canned series, which has been focused on more traditional craft-beer standards to the tune of two IPAs and a pale ale. Here, it's a straight-up IPA that uses some of the more popular hops of the moment. Dry hopped with copious amounts of Mosaic, Citra, and Azacca hops, it's clear that the brewers at Green Bench are looking to get a hugely aromatic and tropical focused IPA. Does it come out that way?

It's a 6.8% alcohol by volume beer, ending up in the modern IPA alcohol strength range. It pours with a clear-to-slight-haze-laden golden yellow with a stark white cap of foam. Aromas are dank and grassy, with sweet citrus swirling about. Taking a sip, I'm hit with a dankness over crackery malt character before pineapple and melon come out to play. It finishes with low residual bitterness; it's not trying to strip the enamel off your teeth.

I was able to pick this up at Craft Beer City in Jupiter, and it should be available at any good beer specialty shop.

Doug Fairall is a craft beer blogger dedicated to educating the public about all things beer, with a focus on Florida brews. He is the Brand Marketing Manager for Due South Brewing Company and has been a homebrewer since 2009. For beer things in your Twitter feed, follow him @DougFairall and find the latest beer pics on Clean Plate's Instagram.

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