Radical Times IPA
Black Raven Brewing Co.

heck of a hop combination in this tasty and drinkable collaboration ipa with gigantic, still one of the greats in my mind, so i was stoked to see this on tap here in idaho. the name perhaps suggests a more unique beer than is actually in the glass, but i liked this anyway. crystal, alora, el dorado, and citra, nicely mingled here. light chill haze to this, relatively light on the malt, brassy toned with a nice white head on it, subtle aroma compared with the flavor, but i get peach and apricot out of it, tangerine and dried orange peel, a little sweet melon maybe from the el dorado, and a yeast element that teases almost being english to me, light breadiness only partially from the grain, at least to my nose, smells pretty fresh, alora hops make it modern, lower bitterness too, summery to an extent, but somewhat understated. the flavor opens up a lot, floral like yellow rose or something, a little tropical with mango joining the orange and melon from the aroma, less of the stone fruit thing but the alora is still apparent, thats the unique element of this, lightly oily on the palate, lower bitterness, a touch unresolved in the finish, like its not quite juicy enough to be just that, but its not quite dry or bitter enough to really hit like a traditional ipa, as much as it is kind of classically styled, it lingers a little, slightly maltier at the end, fuller tasting there than the color suggests for sure, mandarin and light pineapple recall, maybe just a tad less carbonated than it could be, but i found this easygoing and pleasant anyway, i like the hop combination and that its relaxed overall, not loaded with hop products, and comfortable in its own skin, unpretentious. not a life changer, but a solid ipa, always nice to check in with gigantic one way or another.

Draft at Hops & Bottles. Clear, bright golden pour, head fades to filmy layer. Bready aroma, notes of citrus. Taste comes in hoppy, citrus zest, orange. Full mouthfeel with a fast finish.