Moon Letters Hazy IPA
Almanac Beer Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16oz can purchased from the fridge as a single for $5.49. Canned on 7/9/20, so this is exactly 7 weeks old.

Look: Looks nice. Hazy with a shimmer of tranlucency. Deep yellow / pale orange in color. Compact off-white head that dissipates at a moderate pace, leaving a thin pillowy layer.

Smell: Interesting. My first impression was blue cheese, which sounds so weird. I get a distinct pineapple aroma...it almost smells like canned pineapple or actual pineapple juice. Almost has a pina colada type of aroma to it sans coconut. Smells sweet and inviting. Not much else is coming through on the nose that is so distinct...initially I thought maybe some peach? Some grassy and green notes including green bell pepper when agitated, also smells slightly medicinal...this may be what is giving way to the blue cheese note?

Taste: A bit different from what I was expecting. It's interesting. My first sip was more green and bitter up front, and finished slightly tangy with lots of fruity notes on the finish. Almost the opposite of a typical IPA. That pattern did not perpetuate for the whole beer. There is definitely bitterness on the finish, but it doesn't dominate the taste and it doesn't linger so long. Finish is dry and the bitterness is rounded. It's easy to drink and is pretty enjoyable, in a different sort of way.

Feel: Medium body - this doesn't have as pillowy a mouthfeel as a classic NEIPA, but it's is soft. And it's refreshing, which is not always the case with a hazy IPA.

Overall: It's definitely different and I love trying new things. I got to taste two hop varieties that are brand new to me: moutere and sultana. Overall, the beer is good but it's hard to figure out what its focus is. Not knowing anything about these two hop varieties, I wonder if they are ideal to pair together? I'm not sure that I would buy this again, but definitely glad to have tried it once.