Blizzard Conditions
Epic Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

Short Review. This was a nice IPA and it was a little on the unique side, it had some different fruit flavors with a little more of floral hop profile which came together to make for an interesting and unique hop profile. The malts were a little on the lighter side, but that didn't really hurt it that much. I would buy this beer again just because of how unique it is.

Unique bottle info: Release #3 ABV 7.3% DEN#3789 Brewed as a collaboration with Telluride Brewing Company for the Colorado Brewer's Guild 2017 Collaboration Beer Fest.

Hazy, cloudy, bright gold body with a thick, sudsy head. Bold tropical and citrus fruit aroma; orange and pineapple. Tropical fruit flavor; tropical fruit rinds; light malt grain base; rather bitter. Medium-heavy body; somewhat flat overall yet still sporting some bitter crispness; cream ale-like smoothness.

All in all, an interesting and tasty beer. And it's somewhat difficult to rate this beer even if it is now an "official" IPA style as I have no idea what the style guidelines are. I'm just going on the somewhat vague descriptions of hazy and tropical for a NEIPA. In that case, this beer has those qualities, but with few (if any) other examples being tried by me (and lacking "official" style guidelines), a large part of this review and ratings are based on the personal appeal of this beer. I would have another but this wouldn't be my first choice for an IPA.

 

 

 

 

 

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, release #3; no bottle dating, but was just released. Pours lightly hazy golden amber/light orange color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice thick soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big lemon, lime, mango, melon, tangerine, grapefruit, passion fruit, guava, citrus zest, light pepper/pine, wheat, white bread, light honey/toast, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/tropical/citrus hops and moderate pale malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big lemon, lime, mango, melon, tangerine, grapefruit, passion fruit, guava, citrus zest, light pepper/pine, wheat, white bread, light honey/toast, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Light pine/herbal/grassy bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of lemon, lime, mango, melon, tangerine, grapefruit, passion fruit, guava, citrus zest, light pepper/pine, wheat, white bread, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/tropical/citrus hops and moderate pale malt flavors; with an awesome malt/bitterness balance, and zero astringent hop flavors after the finish. Slight dryness from lingering bitterness, lightly increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 7.3%. Overall this is an awesome NE IPA! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/tropical/citrus hops and moderate pale malt flavors; very smooth, easy, and quite refreshing to drink; with the very mildly bitter/drying finish. Super juicy, fruity, vibrant, and tropical on hops; nice malt backbone without being sweet. A really enjoyable and delicious offering.

 

 

5-10