Brewery- Braxton
Beer- Crank Shaft
ABV- 6%
IBU- 75
You remember the year you put that old Ford back together? Piece by piece you worked on that vintage machine, long into the nights, while Marty and Joe called the game on the radio and you cussing with every busted knuckle. Then, with that first crank, she fired up like she rolled right off the line and pride rushed through you like hi-test gasoline. And no, you can’t have that year back, but you can have a can of Crank Shaft IPA, and the familiar beauty of those long-past days will return. Life is not about the destination, but the journey
A more approachable version of the typical American IPA, Crank Shaft has hop flavor and is aroma forward. Notes of citrus, mangoes, and tropical fruit dominate. The bitterness is more rounded than most, due to primarily late hop additions, as well as dry hopping. The use of three different types of malts give this brew a more balanced body and slight amber/light Caramel color.
There is a very good reason that this beer won a gold medal at the All-Tech Commonwealth cup in 2015 – it’s a damn good beer. There are a ton of IPAs out on the market, which makes it hard for a beer like Crank Shaft to really make a splash when it’s released, but you shouldn’t walk past it if when you see it on the shelf of your favorite bottle shop.
When you pour Braxton Crank Shaft into a beer glass you’re immediately assaulted with it’s fragrant bouquet of floral and tropical fruit aromas. This IPA doesn’t hide behind anything, with a well rounded aroma that makes it hard not to dive right in. Looking at it in the glass you’ll see a beer that holds mellow carbonation with a foamy head leaving a thick lacing on the glass. Colored like a deep golden or light copper sunset, this beer is worth taking a few minutes extra just to marvel in it’s beauty.
But the taste… Once you pull your first sip across your lips, it’s well worth the wait. A deep bitterness holds up a solid caramel and biscuit like breadiness. This is a beer that stands tall, proud and solid. It’s not afraid to assert itself, but at the same time keeps itself solid in the pocket of an easy drinking iPA for a warm evening on the front porch. This isn’t noticeable because it’s got over the top hop additions, or a combination of through the roof ABV and IBUs battling it out. It’s notable because it shuns these things instead for a graceful but strong personality. Speaking loud enough to remind you that it’s here without turning you off.
