Beer of the Week: Ca$h Money

From the Beer Writer: From the Beer Writer: Being of a certain age (I’m not saying I’m old, just…not young), I’ve been able to watch the West Coast IPA rise to prominence from its epicentric namesake region. When boatloads of hops were initially added to a formerly obscure U.K. base style, the resultant beers were resinous and bitter. Over time, brewers began adjusting their hop bills to accentuate orange, grapefruit and other citrus-like flavors. Then came a largely consumer-driven shift to dial back bitterness to bring on more fruitiness, particularly from new hops from the U.S. and Southern Hemisphere countries such as New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, many of which brought forth tropical fruit flavors of mango, guava, pineapple, papaya and passionfruit. Those characteristics are now arguably the most highly desired among the majority of present-day IPA drinkers, and they are the foundation of this week’s featured beer, Ca$h Money from Bear Roots Brewing. So much so that the brewery outright labels it as a “Tropical IPA”. With aromas of passionfruit and key lime followed by juicy pineapple and a touch of underripe mango flesh, it’s a fitting description. A subtle sweetness accentuates that island-like profile without impeding a slightly bitter finish that’s just enough to set one up for the next sip. Ca$h Money is available at Bear Roots’ pair of Vista tasting rooms, which will be joined by a third Vista location later this year.

From the Brewery: “Ca$h Money is a West Coast-style IPA that delivers a punch of flavor flowing with ripe peaches and nectarines solely from the hops. Lemon and lime attributes to the crisp citrus that allows this IPA the somewhat-dry finish you’re looking for.”