4.1 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
A - A nice deep hazy amber-orange color with a good finger of frothy white head. The head had very decent retention and some excellent lacing.
S - Very strong citrus and floral hop aroma. Also, some nice pine and grassy smells mixed in to balance the hop aroma a bit. Very powerful overall.
T - Starts off with the citrus/floral hops and they just keep building up. In the middle the hop flavor really has a nice punch and some stronger bitter flavor kicks in. There is a bit of malt flavor here that takes over for a bit. The hops come right back, and the finish if full of hop flavor with some nice lingering bitterness and citrus flavor.
M - Medium bodied with a little above average carbonation, which is really assertive. Very smooth overall. The beer finished really dry which gave it a nice crisp feeling.
D - Very drinkable. Lots of powerful hop here that really makes for a tasty beer. The mouthfeel also keeps the beer really crisp.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Pours a clear deep golden bronze with a nicely-lacing froth of white head. Fresh piny grapefruity hoppy nose has a touch of sweet pale maltiness. Body starts fairly full with a light sweetness balanced with a sticky, resiny hop bitterness and some grapefruit flavor before a drier crisp finish. Nicely-balanced, fresh and drinkable.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Tap @ CBC - Hazy orange, creamy white head. Fresh grassy pine and citrus swirl under currents of sweet nutty caramel malt. Moderate hop bitterness with grapefruit peel and grassy pine notes that flow over light sweet earthy caramel tones. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, bitter finish. Great ode to the hops…
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
On tap at the CBC. Marmalade orange color with a very faint head. Aroma is very complex and fragrant. A little pine, resin, lots more citrus/grapefruit, touch of pineapple. The balance on this one is great. I really got to just enjoy the flavour of the hops... not too bitter. The bartender said they grew the hops right outside the brewpub. Cheers!
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 15/20
2005 draught pint at Redbones (it’s on at CBC too right now) on 11/13/2005. Pours a hazy golden-amber-copper with a strong peachy-yellow hue and a foamy, well-retained, albeit small, white head. Aroma certainly wastes no time in introducing the hop aspects, which are all over the spectrum. Juicy fruits, floral notes, light spicy herbs and just a hint of citrus (surprsingly light on the citrus nose). Malts are smooth and supportive, adding light pale malt sweetness, hints of light toasty grains as well and the fresh yeast of CBC. Flavor begins with a strong sense of honey, sugary dough (though not heavy) and amply integrates the fruity, juicy hops. Light citrus, spearmint and wintergreen, with floral bitterness, more chewy malt entering and finishing lightly spicy, a touch yeasty and dry. Very well-malted and tremendously balanced. The commercial description boasts of piney, resinous hops, and while there is some pine-resin flavor, though more minimal than they make it out to be, I would suggest, there are none of the adverse effects of this characteristic. No syrupy, biting, over-the-top bitterness. Comparing this to Ipswich’s Harvest ale is quite natural for me. This one forgoes, just slightly some added hops bitterness expression and adds more balancing sweetness from the malt. The yeast is certainly different too, this one stays out of the way more. Hop complexity is also higher in Cambridge’s version, having more fruitiness and citrus. Mouthfeels are similar, though having more malt this is far chewier, with less dryness. Would like to see how this one evolves and compare the two side-by-side. No alcohol apparency.
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