Year of New Beer: Super Nova, Brasserie De La Pleine Lune (France)

Written By: Dion on 08/24/2015

Conventional wisdom dictates that one does not buy an undated, European-brewed IPA from the closeout bin at Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati. I mean, it's destined to be a sweet, malt bomb, right? Except it's not. Instead, the aroma is reminiscent of a Belgian IPA--yeast, coriander, and some lightly floral hops. On the tongue is a pretty nice blend of grassy hop bitterness and mild citrus fruit pith. Only at this point does the faintest hint of sweet malt pop up to provide balance to a beer that overall is crisp and a touch dry. This isn't necessarily one to go out of your way to get, but it's certainly worth the not quite $4 I paid for it.