Wellbeing-4 Hands "Liquid Rain" IPA

I'm starting to wonder if Wellbeing produces a beer that has alcohol in it. 4 Hands is entirely new to me, so I have no idea about them, but the Intentional IPA from Wellbeing was one of the best non-alcoholic beers I've had, and it barely got into the average category. Much like light beers, I'm still looking for a break-out hit.

The golden beer is very nice to look at, despite the rapidly receding head and lack of noticeable lacing. The thin, uneven layer of bubbles manages to hold on for a while, so it still looks like a beer. The aroma is almost completely nectarine/tangerine. I asked my spouse to smell it, and it got a thumbs-down as, "It smells like beer, but not good beer." Maybe it's the wrong kind of hops for everyone's tastes.

First sip is not good. There is a punch of fruit before a swirl of seltzer and then a pang of bitterness. The beverage (as it is definitely a beverage) does not seem to be what I would call, for lack of a better term, beer. I've had a lot of beer before, and this does not seem to be in line with any of those previous experiences. And this particular experience cannot be definitively categorized as good.

Tip-in is moderate carbonation sizzle with tangerine and nectarine bringing flavors without sweetness; bitterness joins here immediately. The middle is, to its credit, not watery. Instead, it brings the fruit meat, but the bitter film on everything added to the heightened carbonation doesn't make the taste particularly enjoyable. The finish is a smash of bitterness with carbonation dazzle and fruit sprits flowing into the wind.

Bottom Line: This is not my beer.

0.75/5