The all American (hops) hero, real West Coast AIPA, but more refined (thats real. AIPA, not the real West Coast that would be Taranaki) Pours rich golden amber with a coppery tinge, and a creamy white head lacing beautifully. The aroma is complex with tropical fruit including passion fruit, pineapple and melons all vying for attention. The flavour is complex, with the tropical fruits now balanced out by the layered malt flavour and intense hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is rich but crisp and clean without being dry, and then the aftertaste is deep with a solid lingering bitterness.I'm frowning because this is the first beer for the evening, and it's the equal of 2 1/2 units. So best I make my resolutions now as I might have a strong ale lined up.
Straight off you can tell this is hop-tastic but there is a nice mellow fruit undernote that takes the sharpness off. It's a lovely golden coloured beer, like rich Rimu, and a nice headsworth of froth. That nice hopiness is still with it.
Mike certainly has a thing going. I know that Pale Ale is a stock beer for craft brewery places, but this is a bit good. This is quaffingly good beer, I almost forgot to sit and mull over the range of flavours that this has. Almost. It's crackingly good.
So then, I get a grassy taste (expected, not unpleasant not harsh at all), The malt is doing it's job and adding a smooth note along the way, and there is a depth and length to this that I'm enjoying. You might have guessed that. And it made me burp. I've no idea about the burp though, I might mention it only because it was there, I should pay more attention in future and mention if it's ever there again.
The pdubyah-o-meter is 9's on this, it delightfully drinkable, tasty and looks great.
Related articles
- The Beer Nut: The best new beers of the year (metrowestdailynews.com)
- Twelve beers of Christmas: Tree Serendipity No. 6 (blogs.vancouversun.com)
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