Foreign Object "Precision Neurosis" New American Hoppy Ale

I'll say this for these guys: they're pretty consistent and they produce a good beer. So far, their beers kind of remind me of Bearded Iris. All their beers look the same, generally speaking, and they vary pretty widely in my taste preference windows. For Bearded Iris, this has caused me to pledge to buy pretty much any beer of theirs that I find on the shelf. I think Foreign Object might be heading that direction.

The now cookie-cutter look of the beer is a lighter orange than the others had, so I'll go with tangerine and grapefruit juice. Pulp on top and along the sides is much stickier than the others, and the aroma of bread seems to dominate over the citrus. There's a bit of a mustiness coming from the yeast, but it's kind of far-off, so it shouldn't interfere too much with the richness of the beer.

First sip is tart, sweet, bitter, and even slightly sour. The fruits are mostly rind, and the result is that they're muted by their own side-effects. So, no, I wouldn't say this is going to be a great sipping beer. BUT, this might just develop a lot during a proper swig.

Tip-in is tart right off the bat, and the orange is more of a spritz into the tangerine and grapefruit mix while the carbonation is not even a concern. The middle hits the carbonation, but only at the fringes while the slurry of citrus and tropical fruits sloshes through the mouth with vigor. The finish is a rise of bitterness and tartness before leaving a sweetness on the lips.

Bottom Line: It's a strange mix, but it seems to work.

3.0/5