Beerspotter: A Hipster From Williamsburg

Williamsburg AleWerks IPA

Where Spotted: Grape and Bean, 118 S. Royal St., Alexandria

Price: $1.80/12 oz. bottle (carryout)

Truth in Advertising: Something you might hear a person drinking this say: “Mmm, tastes like…IPA.” It’d be a spot-on description, if not exactly an exciting one. But sometimes that’s all you need. Rather than strike out for a hoppy or sweet or citrusy flavor, this beer is squarely what it claims to be, an American IPA big in both malt and hops.

sometimes Close is close enough: Consumed in Oregon, Williamsburg Alewerks’ IPA might not seem remarkable. But quaffed in Virginia, it’s an example of what freshness can do for a beer. Like the similarly vibrant Heavy Seas Loose Cannon, its lively orange and pine-sap aroma has a depth that comes only by being close to the source, a heady argument to drink local. —Orr Shtuhl

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