WET Hopvision (Sunny Brae Cascade)
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. 5/16.

From the CAN: "Handcrafted In Enola, PA"; "PIzza. Beer. Happy."; "These wet hops were picked fresh by Adam on Aug 10th"; "Wet Hopvision Sunny Brae Cascade"; "Sunny Brae Hops Carlisle, PA"; "Proudly Brewed In Pennsylvania".

I was very CANurious as to what time might have wrought with this one so I Crack!ed open the vent & hoped for the best. I got some mild foaming through the vent, but once it subsided, I saw that it was due to a brimful craft CAN with nowhere for the tongue to go. I then beCAN an extremely slow, gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. This action resulted in the formation of just under two fingers of foamy, soapy, rocky, bone-white head with decent retention, leaving behind some nice lacing. Color was Yellow-Gold (SRM= 4 - 5) with NE-quality clarity, causing The Gelt Gang of Midas, Mammon & Croesus to join me for a taste. Nose had a pronounced earthiness & the caramel malt was beginning to be assertive, but it seemed to have held up well. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was earthy, pine & white oak wood. I feel like I enCANtered something else like this recently. Ah yes, one of Terrapin's So Fresh, So Green, Greens. The malt was not caramel, though, thank goodness. Instead, it had a brown breadiness, like treacle was involved. Hmm. I would not have guessed Cascade, but the mintiness was there, albeit muted. The taste kept making me think of pretzels. Mmm. A baked pretzel from a Lancaster County bakery with a bit of extra salt? Perfect! I ate a Hammond's as a result. Finish was dry & earthy and the pretzel was a perfect acCANponiment. Yum. YMMV.

Can dated 8/28/17 into pint glass. Pours a slightly hazy light amber with a coarse eggshell-white head. Initial impression is subdued citrus, with a touch of peppery spice. Mouthfeel is medium, as is carbonation. Finish is slightly bitter. I'm a big fan of most Pizza Boy beers, but this one just isn't a standout.

 

 

 

16 oz can

Mildly hazy pale golden color, white head. Aroma is earthier than I'd expect for Cascade. Taste is mildly bitter, pale malt, mild fruitiness from the hops. medium bodied.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was kind of bland overall. I couldn't find much in the aroma; just mild caramel and faint, floral citrus. There was a bit more going on flavor-wise. The nop notes were delicate and oddly faded for a beer so young. The citrus was plentiful throughout, but kind of musty up front. The finish had a somewhat fresher, more vibrant citrus flavor and gave way to pleasant, floral bitterness.

Overall I have to call this one a disappointment. Not happy I spent $24 on this 6-pack.