Prison Pals "Nelson" IPA

My last beer from prison pals was, like this one, an IPA. It wasn't completely disastrous, but it wasn't a beer that was likely to make me want to come back for another. What may be picked this one up? Was it the eight bit character on the front? Was it the legally dissimilar from super Mario Brothers mushroom-head guy? We may never know. Either way, these guys have gotten another chance, and the back of the beer says that they want some kind of award. I always hope that every beer I try is going to be fantastic, and that hope is still alive for this one.

It says hazy on the can, and that is a pretty hazy beer. That is about as thick as any beer I can remember having, and it looks almost exactly like orange juice with no pulp. It doesn't erupt with a whole bunch of head, and what it has fizzles down to an even layer across the center of the beer with a strong ring around the sides. The aroma is quite delightful with citrus on top of tropical fruits, or maybe it's the other way around. Either way, my mouth is watering as a result of the delicious citrus scent that I'm picking up off the top of the beer. I really want this to deserve that prize. 

First sip is impressive. With hops this forward, it is very difficult to get a beer that is not laden and with a boatload of bitterness. While bitterness is important in a beer, it shouldn't be so overt as to overcome the bright and delicious flavors of the hops. In this case, they appear to have done exactly what they need to do to get tropical and citrus fruits out from under their bitter overlord. The result is a relatively refreshing IPA with all kinds of fruits just jammed together in what could rightfully have been called a juicy IPA.

Tip-in is light (but building) carbonation with mango, orange, grapefruit, and starfruit. The middle rolls across the tongue as acidity from the fruits seem to join the carbonation at the roof of the mouth, but it does not detract from those delightful flavors. The finish is a bit more rough as the fruits turn to pits and skins and bitterness rears its ugly head before pulling out some good fruit juice for the trail off.

Bottom Line: Maybe these guys are my pals after all.

3.5/5