Avery's Colorado IPA

I didn't purposely start my IPA journey will the low IBU beers and work my way up to the higher hop content ales, but that's the way it worked out. It's a "Colorado IPA". According to my research (i.e. 5 minutes of Googling, Colorado IPAs are kind of a middle ground or amalgamation between the ultra-bitter West Coast IPAs and the East Coast IPAs that concentrate on extracting fruity esters from the various hop varieties. 

Avery's Colorado IPA does seem to fit the bill. At 69 IBUs, it certainly packs a hop bitter bite. But that bitterness is far from the astringent quality that you often find in true West Coast IPAs. In addition to the hoppiness, there's an unexpected malt character that you often find in a brown ale. There are various lurking-beneath-the-surface favors competing for attention: pine, citrus, pineapple, and even some sweet bell pepper. There's a floral halo surrounding it all that makes for a wonderfully complex brew.