Maximum IPA

The Lagunitas Brewery of California has impressed me in the past, so I thougth I'd give this a try. Its the Maximus IPA. As a quick refresher, that stands for India Pale Ale, a highly hopped and moderately strong ale. The style originated with British colonists in India, who wanted beer from their homeland, but the standard beers couldn't survive the long trip by ship. The extra alcohol and lots of hops acted as a preservative for the voyage.
Its pours a good pale brown, slightly cloudy, with a good dose of carbonation. The aroma is all IPA, with hops, hops, and more hops. You get the crisp strong ale flavors, with some floral spiciness like basil and thyme. Lots of carbonation, almost too much. The aftertaste is darn good, the hop bitterness lingers and leaves you wanting more. Overall a great example of the style.
Look: 3 - cloudy gold
Aroma: 4 - lotsa hops
Taste: 3 - clean and tasty
Feel: 3 - good carbonation
Total: 3.25