Review: Half Pints' Codename: Ghost

It was just about two years ago when I first tried Half Pints' Codename: Ghost at their taproom in Winnipeg. I remember overhearing some of the patrons absolutely raving about the beer. So, of course, I tried it and it was great! I ended up buying two growlers to take home. This beer was (I believe) Half Pints' first take on the insanely popular New England IPA style. 6.0% ABV/50 IBU

Appearance: Codename pours dark golden in colour with a light amount of cloudiness, a good amount of carbonation in the body, and two fingers of thickness with a bit of a beige colour to it.

Aroma: Sweet and tropical yet pretty mellow. The dominating aroma I'm getting is pineapple, but there's also a good amount of mango and lemon in this beer as well. There's a mild leafy aroma from the hops popping up. Not as overly tropical/juicy as most NEIPAs so far, but it smells great!

Taste: There's a good balance of sweet/tropical and bitterness to this beer - there's a moderate amount of pineapple and mango, a bit of lemon, a light yeastiness, as well as a good deal of bitterness to it.. some pine, some leafy notes, a bit of grass.

Overall Thoughts: Not quite as juicy and thick as most NEIPAs but this one is a definite recommendation if you're a fan of their Little Scrapper IPA as I feel this beer compliments the classic IPA. Easy to drink, not too sweet, quite smooth on the palate aside from a light hop bitterness for aftertaste, which is something I love in my IPAs, but many don't.