The beer is a dense orange with a minimalist off-white head that leaves a few patches across the top. The aroma is citrus juices. This whole presentation (once you get past the label) puts me in mind of pretty much any of the Bearded Iris beers. This has GOT to be a good thing, because I love trying those beers.First sip is grapefruit, oranges, flowers, dust, yeast, and bitterness. It's more intimidating than I had expected. I don't know if it's the spate of dessert beers that I've had lately that have put me in mind of a sweeter beer or my remembering the Bearded Iris beauties that were generally pretty well balanced, but this is more... fierce.
Tip-in is heavy with bitterness, flowers, and the meat of some citrus fruits while the carbonation attacks the mouth all over. The middle is a continuing of the citrus with added tropical fruits and a hint of the yeast. The finish isn't as bitter as the sip made it seem; it has the dusty malt that adds enough sweetness without intruding overtly, but bitterness lingers on the tongue during the trail-off.
Bottom Line: When you drink like you should, it's got some character.
3.5/5
