This weekend is my daughter’s performance in the local holiday show. My dad is here and we’re watching NCAA football conference championships, so I thought I’d crack open a beer while we watch. I bought this a few weeks ago after hearing a lot of buzz about it. It’s one of the beers people have been buzzing about in this recent Northeast IPA NEIPA/Hazy IPA craze. Since I bought a four pack, I finally decided to review this last one.
Location: Poured from the can into a TEKU pint glass at my home in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 6.8% ABV, 65 IBUs, ~210 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It’s a pale yellow-gold color and very hazy. It has a very big, bright white head that’s fluffy and rocky, which slowly drops and gives way to the big grapefruit and tropical fruit hop aromas.
Taste & Feel: The body is medium and the mouthfeel is smooth and oily, but a bit crisp from the hoppiness. There’s a lot of tropical fruit juiciness and flavor up front, which in the middle, gives way slightly to some yeastiness mixed in with the tropical flavors. The tropical fruit flavors really open up in the finish with some mango and orange flavors. The tropical fruit and orange flavors and some bitterness last for a couple minutes in the aftertaste.
Food Pairing: I think the fruitiness in this beer would pair nicely with and contrast with a slightly spicy Mexican food dish.
Overall Impression: I enjoyed the abundance of hop flavor in this beer without the puckering bitterness. It has a very nice mix of tropical flavors, but it tastes more like tropical fruit juice than beer. The last beer I reviewed was the OJ Run by Narrow Gauge, and I think I enjoyed that one a little more – feeling like it had a bit more malt backbone compared to this one. It’s still a very good beer, but I think the malt has to provide a good foundation for such big tropical hop flavors.
My Rating: 
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