Dancin' DIPA
Rock Art Brewery

 

Miss hitting this place between Hill Farmstead and Alchemist, but those days are long gone. Canned 9/10/19, I wish I had checked the date. Purchased at Total Wine in Natick a week ago.

Pours a med-large frothy foamy head with moderate retention, some soapy lacing, hazy cloudy reddish-orange color with sediment/floaties (I'll give it a break here due to the age)

Nose has a little aged hop character, but plenty of citrus, candied stone fruit, a little grapefruit, some melon rind I think, fair sweet malts and flaked wheat/oats

Taste brings sweet malt out front, doughy creamy malt with some cereal biscuity cracker notes, flaked proteins softening and creaming it, then hops kick in with citrus, orange zest, grapefruit, a bit pithy, melon rind, med-higher bitterness, especially late, light alcohol flavor, mild sweet drier finish with more alcohol and spicy chewy hops kicking in with higher bitterness

Mouth is med to a bit fuller bod, a little soft creamy, some tingly warming alcohol, med to a bit lower carb

Overall it's about a typical Rock Art, better than average but doesn't blow me away, alcohol was a bit high, lots of creamy flaked wheat or oats and soft without over mineral additions, bitterness was good for DIPA, malt balance was good as well, I liked the big bitter finish, it was definitely enjoyable but not incredible

 

 

Picked-up a four-pack of cans at Long Ridge Wine and Spirits for about fourteen dollars. My second reviewed brew from these guys, but have had at least a few more. I enjoyed this, a nice change-of-pace from NEIPAS, with a piney taste. Would buy again.

What a treat to find this at a store I stopped by for couple growlers on my day off Thursday on my way to NE Philly. Crazy sale $3.50 for 4, I thought maybe it's out of date but I didn't see a date and figured how bad could it be? Turned out to be very good. Beautiful hazy look, aroma and taste not fresh and fruity, but musty and dank, and that's OK as I don't care for fruity anyways, unless it's bitter fruit. Sticky and smooth, overall excellent. I later found the 6/25/19 date so little over 3 months old last weekend. Of course, I would like to have a fresh perspective, not always possible. Went back Sunday upon returning from the shore (yes that would be the Jersey Shore) and those 4 paks were long gone. Wish I had purchased an entire case 6 for $21.

 

 

 

Bottom of pint can:
6/25/19
Opened and reviewed on 8/3/19

Thick golden liquid with amber highlights from within. Obviously unfiltered. A white foam head gathers quickly, dissipates but leaves a nice, solid ring of foam.

The aroma is pretty intense. Chunky aromatic hops: citrus based fruitiness, tropical punch of pineapple, mango and creamy strawberry. Bright and fresh smells. The light malt certainly has some golden graininess and white pepper

Well, the mouthfeel is sure full and smooth! Heavy liquid is actually crisp but with a full, smooth finish and maybe slightly dry.

The hop flavors are very deep, grapefruit bitterness and dry earthy tones dominate. Pithy citrus, more booz than I would expect from a 7.5% DIPA. More bitterness from 65 ibu, but it's really complex and the hops seem to be pretty astringent and biting. Dry leafy taste, like fresh hops...wet but certainly dry hopped.

Overall, it's got it's charms but I wasn't expecting such a big hop bitterness. If you like earthy bitter fruity hops. This one has it in spades.

Can dated 06/25/19.
This was poured into a tulip.
The appearance was a pretty thick burnt orange hazy color with a consistently level finger's worth of white foamy head slowly dieing off to leave some sliding lace. Some hop sediment settling at the bottom of my glass.
The aroma had some grassy sweet and spicy hops up front with some light danky earthy character. Some oniony tones and white pepper. Citrus hops even further underneath.
The flavor took the danky earthy to oniony sweetness to stroll across the grassy sweet and spiciness. Semi-smooth aftertaste of onions, grass and earth.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a fine sipping quality about it. Carbonation felt nice and low. Hop harshness hits my tongue noticeably. Danky on the finish with strong earthy hop particles.
Overall, it's pretty strong in its danky earthy quality. I could come back to this.

Drinking out of a Frost snifter.
Looks like a ‘Vermont IPA’ - pretty much unfiltered, hazy, orangish straw color.
But
Nice thick orange head.
Mild citrus small.
Very nice mouth feel.
Very nice taste. Some orange but well balanced and seems like a nice choice for a summer afternoon.
Rock Art is underappreciated. They make some good beers.

 

Canned 6/25/19. Pours a hazy orange hue with a thick head into my glass. Orange juice or beer? Certainly beer, with a small dose of citrus in the nose. Sweet, tart orange peel and mango flavors with an acidic finish. I view that as a bit of a distraction to my enjoyment of what is overall a decent stab at the style.

 

16 oz. can.
Canned 06/25/19.
Moderate pour yields a one inch white head over a very hazy, light to medium golden body with some sticky lacing. Nose of some tropical fruit, some citrus, and a bit of dank pine. Taste mirrors nose nicely with the pine dankness asserting itself through the finish of a bit of citrus pith as well. Got dank? Why, yes it do! Nice feel and overall, if you're looking for dank, this could be the one for you. Cheers!!!