Rochester Mills' second canned release after Lazy Daze Lager. Cornerstone IPA is brewed and canned in Royal Oak, Michigan by Millking It Productions. Looking forward to cracking open 16 oz. of IPA goodness...

From the Rochester Mills site:

"This unfiltered amber ale is packed full of hop bitterness, flavor and aroma. IPA is the most bitter beer style and it is enjoyed by people we refer to as “hopheads.” We dry hop this beer with a combination of English and American hop varieties for a wonderfully aromatic finish."

Here we go...

Pour - dark honey, amber in color. Clean, clear appearance with a decent sized bubbly white head on top. 

Aroma - caramel and orange juice in the aroma as well as some grassiness and lemon. A bit of vanilla and only a slight bit of pine. Not a whole lot of hoppiness in the nose.

Taste - definitely a malt forward IPA with a nice hoppiness that seems to appear at the back of the tongue as you get that first sip down. It's almost like a "hop ghost" appearing when you least expect it. Cornerstone has a good deal of caramel sweetness combining with orange and lemon citrus flavors as well as a bit of pineapple juice. 

Overall -  at first I wasn't sure what to think but then the hoppiness kicked in and the balanced nature of this IPA came out. Sure, it's not a crazy hop bomb but every beer has it's own unique signature so to speak. Give this one a shot, have an open mind and we're sure you'll enjoy it. 

Would I buy more of it? - when it comes to cans of craft beer in Michigan we've got a lot to get through. With the recent announcement that Bell's will be canning in 2012 and a number of other Great Lakes State breweries about to release cans we might need to work our way back to this one, which should be a fun quest!

Note - You can try a variety Rochester Mills Beer Company beers by going to their brewpub in Rochester, Michigan. They've got about a dozen brews on tap including their upcoming canned release, Milkshake Stout.