If you need a reason other to buy beer other than the fact that Weyerbacher has unleashed a beast of a West Coast-style IPA, then do it for the cause!
From the Weyerbacher site: “Why ?Last Chance???The name ?Last Chance? is a nod to something held very close to the hearts of many of the employees at Weyerbacher Brewing Company: ?Animal Rescue. ?Weyerbacher donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of every drop of Last Chance IPA to small, regional animal rescue operations. ?These shelters offer dogs, cats and other pets their last chance to find a new home.
Have a glass, make a difference! ?Cheers!”
On to the review!
?First of all, I think I’ve made it very clear that I’m a big fan of West Coast IPAs. If I haven’t, allow me to do so now: I am a very big fan of West Coast IPAs.
That said, as much as I love Weyerbacher, I had my doubts that an East Coast brewery could deliver on their claim that they brewed a West Coast-style IPA. After all, East is East, West is West and the styles are VERY different. East Coast IPAs tend to be much more subdued and nowhere near as hoppy as their West Coast counterparts. Not that they’re bad, they just aren’t as strong in the flavor arena.
Until now.
I cracked open this IPA and knew just from the scent that Weyerbacher nailed this one down.
Here’s what they have to say about it: “Weyerbacher?s new?Last Chance IPA?is a west coast-style full-flavored hop assault delightfully lacking in balance. ?We?ve added a combination of Centennial, Cascade, Simcoe and Columbus hops are used to produce pungent aromas of grapefruit, pine and citrus. ?Last Chance IPA?weighs-in at ?5.9% ABV and 62 IBUs.”
See how they use the words “hop assault” up there? YUP. It is an absolute assault on the palate and exactly what the IPA hop fiend is seeking.
On the nose, it’s all citrus (grapefruit) and pine. Very much a hallmark of the West Coast style. My typical pour resulted in a frothy white head (2 fingers, at least) over a clear golden body and leaves behind a nice lacing.
Normally, I talk about balance here. But like the brewer says, this is wonderfully unbalanced. It’s a hop house all the way through. You’ll never get a boozy flavor out of it, thanks to that. Don’t read that as a lack of flavor though – for a beer that only comes in at 5.9%, this IPA starts and finishes strong in that department. Light carbonation makes it a very drinkable beer, too. While I was grilling, my wife commented on how quickly the first one disappeared. I didn’t even realize I’d finished it. The aftertaste follows along the initial flavor, very hoppy with a little bit of that grapefruit bite. But if you plan to drink anything different after this one, I’d advise eating about a loaf of bread before doing so.
For a single IPA (Which are enjoyable, but I prefer a Double IPA), Last Chance IPA is sure to please the hopheads. It certainly pleased this one.
Last Chance IPA is still early in the shipping stages from what I understand. As a matter of fact, it was so new to the store that when I went to purchase it, they hadn’t even entered the price in the system. Frank texted me later to let me know he owes me a dollar, because they wound up charging me the wrong price. LOL So what I thought was a $10.99 six pack is actually a $9.99 six pack.?
?Get out there and find it – if nothing else, do it for the animals!
Great work, Weyerbacher. I’m looking forward to more Last Chance and the opportunity for some of my money to go towards a great cause! I hope more brewers will follow your lead!
I’m going to put this one at a 7.5 out of 10!?
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