Decadent "Multiflora" Double IPA

So, I had this one sitting in my fridge for a little while now. I don't know if it was the freakish looking bees, a strange color of seafoam–teal of the label, or the fact that it says multi-flora, and I assumed this meant it would be one of those ales brewed with flowers or plants or something like the hideous Magic Hat crap that got me completely turned off of that brewer. But, today's the day to try it.

It's hazy in patches with flows of detritus suspended quite delightfully in the center of the beverage. The color is orange overall with a bit of honey where the glass is thinner. The head isn't much to write home about, and I don't expect there to be much lacing if any. The aroma is tropical fruits instead of the flowers I was afraid of. The good news is, my mouth is watering.

First sip is sweeter than I anticipated, even though I know most DIPAs are relatively sweet. The tropical fruits have their tanginess and bitterness, and the yeast is adding an interesting kind of backbeat to the mix. I assume the sweetness is coming from the malt, but I don't know what that malt tastes like. I can only taste it's effect of the beverage being sweet.

Tip-in is sweet with the tropical fruit upfront and the yeast very present at all times; the malt seems to be a sweet caramel. The middle is smooth as all get-out, as the tropical fruits slide right down the gullet with a bit of citrus and pine tossed in the mix. The finish has a flash of bitterness as the resin takes hold very briefly before a dusty tropical flower kisses the lips softly and fades away.

Bottom Line: A complex, sweet beer that I should've gone for a lot sooner. It even gets better as it warms up a little.

3.75/5