Best Day West Coast IPA
Best Day West Coast IPA
IPA / Best Day NA / <0.5%
Best Day's West Coast IPA is a tribute to our backyard and its rich history of making damn good beers. It starts with the classic Cascade Hop aromas of Citrus and Pine and a bite on the front end. Middle hopping flavors balance with the malt to leave a nice hint of a lingering hop finish.
Rituals play an important part of our lives. They are more special than habits or routines. Some people grab a coffee on the way to work (a routine) and some people like to spend 10 minutes hand grinding special beans and using them in a single-serve pourover (a ritual). Likewise, some people grab any beverage they can get their hands on after a long day and others like to crack open a particular IPA, watch the can sweat as they have their first sip and follow the taste from lips to finish.
That’s what I was looking for as I opened my Best Day West Coast IPA after a particularly long day staring at a computer screen. I was looking to elongate the process of enjoying an IPA as long as I could — reading the can, taking small sips and experiencing the taste until finish. They say it’s the best way to appreciate things. To be in the moment and to take in the small details. Since we don’t drink NA products to “get drunk”, it’s truly all about enjoyment in the ritual.
Best Day Brewing prides itself on simplicty. Their beers are all relatively low calorie with the West Coast IPA weighing in heaviest at 68 calories. And the ingredients are what we would expect — water, barley, hops and yeast. They also claim to use innovative technology to gently remove the alcohol, which allows their beers to maintain the aroma and subtle flavors that craft beers should contain. Founded and brewed in Northern California, the company also presents itself as airy and outdoorsy and pledges to donate at least 1% of its total sales to environmental nonprofit organizations
Best Day West Coast IPA Review
The can reminds you of a sunny late summer day. A sun logo sits at the center of the mustard yellow can. On the side, instead of listing a drawn out founding story, they mention dozens of individuals that Best Day is brewed for, including fathers, ranchers and poets. If you can’t find a description that fits you, then you would be a very unique individual. Most all of us are “neighbors” to someone or “fans” of something. And I think that’s the point Best Day is trying to make; their beers are for everyone.
Spinning the can slightly more, you get to my favorite part — the nutrition facts. I really wish every beverage would do this, but they don’t. Always something to hide… As detailed previously, the can proudly displays its 68 calories and also lists its carb, protein and fat content.
Is Best Day West Coast IPA Good?
I think being poetic at the start of this review about rituals was because this beer brought me back. It’s as close to an alcoholic IPA as I’ve had. The aroma was distinctly malt and citrus and the taste followed to form. It also brings that heavy IPA citrus/bitterness on the finish. The hops were relatively muted. It doesn’t ovewhelm, but I’d call the body squarely medium.
It’s a good solo beer for me. This isn’t something I am going to quaff, but something that I want to sip and reflect on the day. Its heavy finish sticks with you, so even if you are done with your drink, it will keep reminding you for a bit after.
Let’s get to the next section and see my Best Day West Coast IPA rating.
Best Day West Coast IPA Rating
Best Day Brewing gave us full on Northern California with their West Coast IPA. If you don’t live there, think about it as a way to transport you. Some days, we need to be transported somewhere else, even if just for a few minutes. And this one transported me in another way — it made me feel more like the days when I used to have an alcoholic IPA after work. The nose, taste and finish were all indicative of its alcoholic brethren without the donwsides.
I enjoyed my experience with Best Day and I think it deserves a spot among some of our top reviews, so I am giving it a 5/5.
Photos Credit:
https://bestdaybrewing.com/
