Have I made some terrible mistake? Westbrook gave me a beverage that reeked of coffee without even putting on the label that it had any kind of coffee like malt or actual coffee involved. Then, they did the exact same thing to me again. Is this going to be the first IPA that I've had the tastes like coffee? Well, I've already bought this beer, so I'm not going to go in with a prejudice against the brewery. Maybe this was brewed by an entirely different person and is the best beer ever produced.
The mostly hazy orange beer is probably a little lighter than it looks like in this picture. The head came out of the top of the can as soon as I cracked it open, and it poured with significant bubbles. The resulting foam is a very uneven and patchy coating across the top with significant bubbles clinging to the sides. The aroma is citrus, tropical, and pine on top of a somewhat reedy malt. I'm not gonna lie: this smells pretty good.
First sip demonstrates that the malt really isn't keeping the bitterness in check as much is it is normally intended to, and a tartness lingers for quite a bit after the drink is gone. The beverage is overwhelmingly bitter, but it is the signifying sensation coming out of just a little sip. The citrus and tropical juices seem to justify the amount of bitterness, but the malt could probably be selected to do a slightly better job of reeling it in.
Tip-in is medium carbonation fury with apricot, tangerine, and grapefruit on top of a very watery base. The middle adds pine, orange, and maybe even some nectarine to imbue the beverage with a boldness that the sip only hinted at. The finish is a sudden burning of carbonation before tartness and bitterness co-mingle for a fruity sendoff.
Bottom Line: A little unbalanced, but not a bad beer.
2.5/5