Pineapple Kush
Cascade Lakes Brewing Co.

 

 

its a shame they cant supply fresh beer to arguably the busiest grocery store in boise, this was bought today but canned way back in november, i should have looked, but didnt want to linger with the virus and everything in full swing. disappointing because the beer is tired but full of potential. this could be a stocking issue i guess, but they dont seem to have that problem with anyone elses beer, this is a major ding on cascade lakes in my opinion, given the circumstances. cant tell if the golden orange beer is malty or just older, the hops have some pine and some bite, and the best part about it is that the pineapple isnt overdone at all. its not sweet. its not real natural either, and tastes more like a pineapple flavored piece of candy than a real bite of fruit, but it works with the hops selected, or whats left of them here. i like the beer being clear, having some grain balance, and being hops in front of pineapple, the proportions are good, and i bet fresh, or even half fresh, this is quite good. quite bold even too, feels like its abv, not as light as a lot of fruity ones, and thats a nice contrast in a samey style. i will track down a better example of this and comment, but its hard to get excited about a hoppy beer this old, especially one bought today from a busy grocery chain, absurd! i like it fine, and will drink all of them, but this isnt its full self and its obvious. lame.

Six pack of cans picked up at Grocery Outlet in Kenmore, Washington.
Packaged on 10/22/19. Poured in to a pint glass.

Look- Clear golden amber color, modest off-white head that recedes fairly quickly to a thin cap of foam, spotty lacing. Moderate carbonation streaming as it sits.

Smell- Over ripe canned pineapple, citrus (pithy grapefruit, orange/tangerine and lemon), pine, a little peach, bready malt and grassy/herbal notes.

Taste- Follows the nose, fairly sweet tropical and citrus fruits, light pine with a decent malt backbone.

Feel- Medium bodied, somewhat sweet with a light bitter finish, pretty well balanced. Moderate carbonation on the tongue.

O- A pretty solid offering. As far as pineapple infused IPAs go I prefer Kona's Gold Cliff though.

Not sure why this beer gets the high marks it does unless the look, smell and feel accounts for more than the overall taste. Maybe I got a bad batch but it honestly tastes like a bottle of perfume got poured into a batch of what otherwise seems like a great IPA if you're accounting for the look, smell and feel as well but to me none of those things matter if the taste isn't there.

Poured from a can into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a clear orange amber color with a one finger head of white foam. The head fades rather fast leaving just a trace of lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell –The aroma of the beer is heavy of a pineapple and corn syrup sweet aroma mixed with a little bit of bready malt. Along with these aromas comes some light smells of mango, herb, and a touch of grass.
Taste – The taste begins with a cracker malt flavor that is backed by some sweetness of a tropical fruit nature. The tropical fruit is mainly of a pineapple taste, but contains a little bit of tangerine and mango as well. The hop is lighter upfront, being mostly of a grapefruit and grassy nature. As the taste advances however the hop gets stronger with more pine and herb joining the taste profile. The dank hops that come at the end of the taste really bring a nice balance to the pineapple and tropical fruit and leave one with a rather nice smooth, but crisp taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the slightly thinner and crisper side with a carbonation level that is rather average. For the somewhat more dank and crisp malt tastes of the brew the feel is nice and makes for an easy sipper.
Overall – A rather nice and flavorful, not too sweet, and somewhat dank, fruit flavored IPA. Overall this was rather well done.

Copper yellow and cloudy with no carbonation, and 2 solid fingers of white head.

Smells of malts, a hint of burnt sugar, and a hint but almost non existent pineapple.

The taste follows the nose which sucks, then a wave of great, fruity pineapple and tropical notes wafts over the tongue, the first hope this beer presents of good taste, then ends in the charred sugar, creme brulee notes.

Medium, syrupy body, with very little carbonation.

My guess is that there's real fruit in this, making up for the best aspects of this brew, and the contrast of burnt out hops is disappointing.

12oz can poured into 14oz teku. Poured a semi-murky medium brown color with an inch of white head that had decent retention and lacing.

Light pineapple at the front of the nose, with just traces of grain and hops in the background.

On the tongue, the flavors were expanded a bit; pineapple brighter, malts stringer, hops brighter and more tart.

The body was medium-light for an IPA, and had a semi-dry finish.

Drinkability was OK, I didn't mind drinking this one, but it's doubtful I'll try it again. Overall, a fairly MOR brew.

Pours a murky slosh in the Brigand chalice with plenty of foam. Mouthfeel is nicely spritzy and malty. Pineapple, yes, in the aroma and flavor. Smell of cereal, apricot, and a whiff of plum brandy, complete with some alcohol fumes.

This is fairly sugary with a Hawaiian sweet bread taste, though it dries out somewhat. Tastes like the bottom of the yeasty barrel after some sipping. Moderate bitterness. Thoroughly drinkable, if not exactly suave. From the 12 oz can purchased at Pioneer Market in La Conner, Wash.

 

 

Thinner than a white womens lips. Would be drinkable if it had some depth in the mouthfeel.