I'm going into this one a little worried. I gave a friend of mine a care package of beer, and it included a bunch of the different ones that I recently picked up - this one was among them. He commented the other day that there was one of the beers I gave him that had a red, white, and blue label that was a sour beer. More importantly, it didn't have sour written anywhere on it. I don't have many red white and blue labels, but this is one of them. I hope this isn't sour.
The clear copper beer has medium sized, white bubbles that scatter to the wind leaving only the smallest traces of lacing and a dusty cap. The aroma is more malt than juicy hops. There are citrus and tropical hops hiding behind the thick, bread crust malt, but the malt is winning the smell. I hope the sip has more hops.
First sip is a great balance of sweet and bitter with just a little tartness added to some dust. The fruits are there, but they are much more laid-back than the can had me believing. The malt is still strong, but it's a buttress for the fruit, and it works out very well. But, a sip is only a sip.
Tip-in is gentle carbonation tingle with tangerine, orange, grapefruit, and plums. The middle
brings an increase in carbonation as the fruit rind joins with some pine and hardtack bread to make it a bit unpleasant. The finish is a whip of bitterness as the bread disappears and the fruit gives way to gristle.
Bottom Line: Sip it, and it's fine. Gulp, and it's not great.
2.5/5
