Continental Drift
Cigar City Brewing

Reviewed from (very) long-standing notes. Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a Cigar City Brewing goblet. Consumed on 8/8/16. Bottle purchased at the brewery on 7/15/16.

A: Nearly clear deep gold, with a good amount of visible carbonation. Forms a two-finger, just off-white head with great retention for style. A very attractive beer.

S: Citrus rind and resin up front, with tropical fruits, melon, and bready malts on the back end. Nice, albeit a bit old school perhaps.

T: Hmmm. Different than what I got on the nose. Big melon, with less fruity and dank hops. A touch spicy and some tropical fruits. Bready malts add a bit of sweetness to the drink though without any particular caramel flavor. Some more melon and citrus rind in the hang with a modest bitter character.

M: Medium body, low alcohol presence. The carbonation sensation maybe a touch on the low side.

O: On re-smelling this after tasting, I guess there’s more melon there than I got initially. Other than that – a solidly made IPA, but I sure wouldn’t have picked these hops for my personal preference. The malt bill is clean and largely stays out of the way as in most West Coast IPAs; but still adds more sweetness than, say, a Pliny. Good, and I’ll look forward to the other bottles I have. But it isn’t quite something that I’d wish would become a regular offering or anything.

 

 

 

A: crystal clear; deep gold in color; 1 finger off white head that receded to a splotchy cap; nice lacing;

S: mango, orange, pineapple, and grapefruit;

T: tropical fruit from the nose is still there, but much less intense; some astringency throughout; moderate bitterness on the finish;

M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation; lightly dry finish;

O: good, but considering the breweries involved, a bit of a let down;

Poured from a bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Nearly clear golden orange pour. Two fingers of foamy white head leaves great lacing.

S: Sweet malts and citrus. Grapefruit and orange peel... tropicals.

T/F: Nice malt/bready sweetness to open and provide nice body. The hop profile is nicely balanced... tropical and fruity. Candied grapefruit, mango, guava, and passionfruit. A little floral, with a sticky mouthfeel. The finish is more tropical. Bitterness is subdued.

O: A delicious collaboration from 2 outstanding breweries. It may err a bit on the sweet side, but still very tasty and uber-drinkable. Love the fruit flavors they got out of the hops, and worth picking up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Massive floral aroma and taste. Not sure what hop has produced this character but it's quite unique. A little on the sweet side but still Very good IPA

On-draught @ Rattle N Hum, NYC.

High B- (3.50) / WORTHY