The New Now
Brewery Vivant

The current trajectory of IPA has attracted a whole new slew of drinkers who once believed that they didn't like IPA. But with a fruitier and juicier taste, a smooth and lesser bitterness, and a strong floral perfume, there's a newfound love for the beer from that segment of the beer loving population.

With the help of Cryo Simcoe, Idaho 7 and Mosaic hops, Vivant's The New Now expresses this trend by first pouring with a grain soaked appearance of translucent honey with a depth of amber. With a creamy ivory froth building, the perfumy scent of citronella, tropical fruit and deeper berry tone rises to the nose. Moderately sweet on the tongue, a light suggestion of caramel, honey and shortcake may seem familiar to old school hop heads.

But the hop flavor is what steals the show once the initial rise of malt starts to subside. juicy with red grapefruit, orange and pineapple, a bolder citrus and tropical taste takes on a candied sweetness, seemingly branch-ripe and at the peak of freshness. Deeper with a peppery currant and black tea medley, the balance of berry, mint and tea adds a deep offset to the candied citrus impressions as the session closes.

Medium bodied and carrying an even-keel bittersweet balance throughout, The New Now finishes juicy but with a drying hop spice of cedar, black tea and pine.

The New Now from Brewery Vivant. Received on 17/3/21 from Brewery Vivant, Grand Rapids, MI. $ 16.95 (Including tax)/4-pack of 16 oz cans ($ 0.265/oz). At room temperature at store and stored at home at 42 degrees. Reviewed 6/4/21. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Undated can. Served at 60.4 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 61.5 degrees.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Straw (SRM 3), clear.
Body – Gold (SRM 5), hazy. When rear-lite, same with effervescence.
Head – Large (Maximum six cm, aggressive center pour), floral white, high density, average retention, diminishing to a nine to twelve mm crown fed by LOTS of effervescence with a thick partial cap and some strings and islands of lacing left on the glass as the head retracts.
Lacing – Good. Medium bands of tiny to small bubbles, connected by generally thin columns. See also above.
Aroma – 4 – Initially herbal with a touch of earthiness. No malt, no yeast. Quickly weakens.
Flavor – 4 – Begins moderately bitter and herbal with some weak tangerine. No malt, no yeast. No alcohol (8 % ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. No gastric warming initially occurs. However, by the end of the can some gastric heat is gradually building. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium, approaching creamy, soft but lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.75 (After deducting 0.25 point for undated can) Overall, a very mild IPA, easy to drink and very unassuming.