Another beer from the people who seem to love fishing more than I do. Maybe I should write these reviews from the perspective as someone either standing in waders or sitting in a boat. Well, I'm not doing either. I'm sitting on a deck, watching a scrapy dog play gleefully with a big, red ball. Am I having as much fun as those fishing guys? Well, I may never know.
Is this a bit more orange than the last one? It seems like it is. Otherwise, it is very similar - from the noteworthy haziness to the sticky head that leaves a good bit on the top. The aroma is a lot more demure, though, as I have to get really down in there it smell light citrus and tropical fruits. I guess I can't expect a pale ale to deliver what an IPA does - especially when that IPA was double dry hopped.
First sip is much brighter than the DDH IPA, but it still has a fairly deep bitterness. The citrus is shining well enough, but I may have taken Northwoods as far as I will. The sip isn't usually enough to tell if a beer is good enough, let alone a brewery, but these guys need to learn to balance a beer a bit better than this.
Tip-in is grapefruit, tangerine, and orange with minimal carbonation intrusion. The middle becomes kind of smooth, but there is a prickliness to it that is a but unsettling. The finish is a wash of fruits before bitterness and skins take over and a tartness is left to mingle with the bitterness for the trail off.
Bottom Line: Not my favorite.
Bottom Line: Not my favorite.
2.25/5
