Almanac "Love Hazy" IPA

When I started this review, I was genuinely surprised to find that I already had at least one Almanac beer posted on my blog. I had no idea what it was, so I looked back to see. I'll be damned if it wasn't the sour cherry beer that I absolutely hated. That alone might have gotten me to not even try this beer, but I can't judge a brewery based on a single beer, can I? After all, I've since had a pilsner from them that was certainly fine. This is an IPA. I like IPAs. I'm going to like this IPA.

She's a very hazy (opaque) melon-orange color with a white head that is reluctant to come out and fizzles away as quickly as you like. The aroma is grains and light, bubbly citrus from grapefruits and oranges with some tangerine in there to spice it up a bit. This is starting off really well.

First sip is a little more untamed than I anticipated. The spices are high, and the fruit juice is tart and bitter at the same time while it's almost as if a pineapple skin is being shoved into my mouth with the harshness of the carbonation or the texture or the acid or something. I don't know what it is - there's not enough liquid in a sip.

Tip-in is orange and mango with a carbonation sizzle right on the tongue. The middle shifts into way too much carbonation burn while the grains and citrus try to assert something over it. The finish is a sudden hit of citrus before the trail off is tart and bitter.

Bottom Line: High hopes and dashed dreams.

1.5/5