Schlafly American IPA (A)

I have to be clear here, Schlafly is one of my favorite breweries. I went there once just to grab some beer with my old band, John Henry and the Engine, before a show in St. Louis. With this disclaimer in mind, I still say that the American India Pale Ale is one of my all-around favorite beers.

First and foremost, it is extremely drinkable. I could easily put several of these away in a sitting. (I don't, because it's 7.2% abv, and I do like standing up from time to time.) I really feel like a sip of this beer is a short song. The front end of the flavor is relatively quiet and smooth. Then the hops wake up and start fluttering. The malt flavor slowly waxes and wanes under the hops, and the aftertaste is bright for at least a minute after drinking. The science graph below shows the timing of the tastes.