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The citrus entry from the "Epic Squeeze" pack was ... uninspired. I've had lots of good beers from Sam Adams before, and I figure that was an anomaly. That said, this is from the same series, and that may not bode well for the remaining beverages from the pack. But, I don't form an opinion of Billy Baldwin based on seeing Alec Baldwin in The Shadow, so I will power through this with gusto!Not quite as crystal clear as the citrus, this is also a few shades of a duller yellow. The head is thicker than I expected, but I really thought this was going to be nearly as fleeting as a soda. The aroma is striking with its mango, pineapple, and grapefruit right up in my grill. This is a great smelling beer that belies a refreshing nature, and I am liking that they own what it is.
First sip is very light. I have a feeling that the things I found in the citrus version that I didn't really care for are going to come out in this one as really good. Sometimes, that's just the way a beer hits you, and this one is hitting well. The fruits aren't competing with each other, and they aren't competing with the latent wateriness that a 4.5% ABV beer tends to bring with it. Instead, this has flavors, and they are working.
Tip-in is surprisingly light tropical mix, but it starts to swell almost immediately as the carbonation starts off mild and also begins to build. The build isn't to a yell - it's to a chorus of tropical fruits that maintain a mellow tone and add a bit of tart-sweet to create a lovely beverage altogether. The finish is a slow breathing out of the tropics before all that's left is tart and sweet to remember them by.
Bottom Line: Pretty epic.
4.0/5
