The seemingly endless parade of IPAs that was generated when hipsters embraced the flowers of hops has resulted in many, many good beers. There have been some stinkers, but The style itself can produce wonders. Even though this one does not declare itself a West Coast IPA, it's from Oregon, so is that their default (like food in China is just food, but here we call it Chinese food)?
The murky beer is just about right for a hazy IPA. I didn't create a label for the hazy IPAs, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the difference in the presentation of the styles. There isn't a lot of head right out of the can, and the ghost of a bubble cap that remains on top is like an intricate wisp of bubbles with a strong ring of tiny bubbles on the sides. The aroma is delightfully tropical over citrus; if there's a malt, I don't smell it.
First sip is tart and bitter with the fruit juices combating each other for dominance in the center of the mouth. The bitterness comes as a bite, just as you might expect from a batsquatch. Like a fruit bat, the mix of fruits is pretty much whatever the bat can get ahold of - mango, starfruit, tangerine, and they mix with grapefruit and orange. Honestly, it's more like a battle - this isn't smooth.
Tip-in is moderate carbonation burn with mango and tangerine hinting at having a friend who happens to be a grapefruit. The middle surges with an unexpected smoothness while the carbonation sizzles pretty furiously at the roof of the mouth. The finish is awash with fruit pits and skins as the bitterness bites and then relaxes for a fruit mist trail off.
Bottom Line: Bombastic and solid.
3.25/5
