Keystoner
Al's of Hampden / Pizza Boy Brewing

 

At long last, I am finally getting around to an extensive brewery horizontal to clear out a massive backlog in support of The CANQuest (tm). I knew that I had a number of their beers in abeyance, but it was not until I beCAN assembling them that I realized just how extensive my inventory actually was. 9/16.

From the CAN: "Handcrafted In Enola, PA"; "PIzza. Beer. Happy."; "Keystoner Wheat IPA"; "Proudly Brewed In Pennsylvania".

For this one, given its inCANsion of wheat as anadjunct, I decided to CANduct some in-CAN agiCANtion before Crack!ing open the vent. I also went with a heavy-handed, aggro C-Line Glug into the awaiting glasssince there was little to no reason to expect clarity. This resulted in the formation of two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, bone-white head with great retention, leaving loads of lacing in its wake. Color was a deeply-hazy/lightly-cloudy Amber (SRM = > 7, < 9). Nose had a pleasant citrusiness of grapefruit & orange with the added tang from the wheat. Mmm. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite creamy, but on the approach. The taste, while lacking in bitterness, had a very pleasant, easy-drinking citrusiness, more towards orange but with a definite grapefruit quality. Mmm. Finish was semi-dry & I wished for more bitterness, but otherwise, It was a pleasant beer on a hot, humid Summer's night. YMMV.

 

 

 

 

Nice golden color, slightly hazy. Citrus smell and flavor

 

 

 

Finally got my hands on some Pizza Boy... picked up a handful of cans from Oakhurst Beverage outside of Harrisburg... Poured into a grip shaped goblet: color is hazy straw gold, head is off white with fine bubbles with good dense presentation and at least 1 inch deep, good lacing on the glass sides and excellent retention on top.

Smell is very good with blend of hops - subtle citrus, but stronger earthy, dank, and pine notes.

Taste is similar simple but good blend of hops, a bit more malt and light softness from the wheat: hops are earthy, piney, dank, hint of citrus but then a notable minty flavor which could be my perception; malt is simple, not detracting, some light toasty notes but not much more.

Mouthfeel is crisp, moderate carbonation, solid bitterness.

Overall a solid wheat/hazy/NE ipa - not overly hoppy, bitter or sweet just good balance of hop aroma/flavor and malt and bitterness.

Pale straw color, whispy head. Not much on the nose outside of some grassy hop. Taste is tad too bitter for me, lots of grapefruit rind & strong herbal hop, lacks balance

 

 

 

Can into pint glass. Pours a hazy straw color with a coarse off-white head that quickly reduces to a spotty film. Initial impression is pine and citrus rind, with a pronounced but not unpleasant bitterness throughout. Mouthfeel is slightly sticky, but on the thin side at the same time; carbonation is light. Finish is more of the same, leaving a peppery bitterness in the throat. A good but not great IPA from Pizza Boy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a dirty straw color with a huge two finger head. The nose is hoppy but more muted than I expected. The wheat comes through on the front of the flavor profile. There is also an off-flavor that I could not quite place. The finish is decently hoppy.

 

Pretty good 4/15/16 BBH