Destihl "Haze of the Dead" Hazy Double IPA

These guys do like the Grateful Dead, don't they? This is the third beer I've had from this brewery, and they have all been Deadhead-adjacent. I'm not going to denigrate them for their consistency, but it seems like a strange niche to decide to latch onto. Fortunately for me, this is an IPA, and that's the niche I've latched myself onto.

The can says that this is a hazy DIPA, and they aren't kidding. The very hazy, light orange beer has some floating bits of goodness gathering at the bottom of the glass while the somewhat off-white head boils down from its good two inches to a thin veneer of microscopic bubbles across the top with larger bubbles clinging to the sides. Lacing? Oh yeah, we've got lacing. The aroma is highly citrus with grapefruit and tangerine smacking the nose while the warmth of a cracker malt tries to soothe it.

First sip is a little more dank than I expected. It has the warmth and sweetness of the cracker malt offsetting the relatively gentle citrus mixture, but the dank finish is a little surprising and a little off-putting. It's not terrible, but it certainly isn't one I was in the mood for. But my mood shouldn't dictate how this review goes, so I'm going to jump in with both feet.

Tip-in is mild caress of orange, grapefruit, and tangerine while carbonation doesn't make a fuss at all. The middle stretches into a cracker malt that is soggy with citrus and then a bit of mango joins the chorus before the finish takes us into a dank dip followed by a dank and slightly tart trail-off.

Bottom Line: Drink it properly, and you don't even have to be in the mood - it's smooth as silk.

3.75/5