Rush River Brewing Company- BubbleJack IPA: good but not GOOD
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 at 6:15PM | by Jason 
It’s getting really hard lately with trying to figure out which brew to review next. I have beers from my friend Tracy & Adams trip, beers from my trip through North Carolina, and now the beers that I brought back from Colorado. Yep, it’s a nice problem to have but it really is a pain in the ass. Here at TGBOAT, we really want to be able to give you reviews of beers from all over this great nation and I think that we’re edging closer and closer to that goal. Based on the last couple of Tracy & Adam trip reviews I still have a couple of brews left from their stop at 1st Grand Ave. Liquors in Saint Paul, MN. Actually I have three, two of them are bombers and I really don’t want to hoard them to myself and will wait for Wes or Steve to cruise by and share them but the one that is left is Rush River Brewing Company’s BubbleJack IPA. This was one of the brews that I gave Tracy & Adam on my hit list of brews to find. Why, not really sure but I really dug the logo and description on the website. BubbleJack IPA is poured and ready.
Rush River Brewing Company classifies this brew as an India Pale Ale (IPA) and their website describes BubbleJack IPA as, “One of our favorite styles, this ale is a hop explosion. Light in color, heavily hopped in the kettle as well as conditioned with several unique hop varieties. This creates a beautiful floral/citrusy nose which is balanced well by a smooth and full finish.”
BubbleJack IPA pours a sediment laden straw yellow color with a 1” white head. The aroma is weak with only slight citrus and & hop scents and a very muted malt smell in the background.
Interesting, BubbleJack IPA is as light as its color in regards to the flavor. The flavor is light and almost seems like there is something missing but at the same time still good. Kind of like forgetting to put meatballs in your spaghetti, it’s still good but not as good as if you had them in there. I can’t detect any real malt sweetness and the carbonation seems to be a little on the high side. What does stand out is the super citrusy finish (lemon zesty) that is complimented by a slight hop tingle on your taste buds. I’d really love to detect more hops here but it’s not bad. The finish is dry and leaves you wanting another sip to continually quench your thirst. I’m really on the fence on this one as it’s not great but it is also not bad, it’s not GOOD but it’s good. I’m glad that I got to experience BubbleJack IPA but I’m not sure that I’d seek it out specifically unless I was in northwest Wisconsin.
ABV: 6.0%
Consumed: Highland Brewing Co Pint Glass
Verdict: Buy A Twelve Pack
