X-IPA 10th Anniversary
Almanac Beer Co.

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: New England IPA
Glass: Pure Project 16-oz. Spiegelau IPA glass
Price: $3.75
From: Trader Joe’s in College Area (San Diego), Calif.
Purchased: Sept. 15, 2021
Consumed: Sept. 15, 2021
Misc.: Canned on July 15, 2021

Grabbed a can of this along with eight other singles (and three Coronado Weekend Vibes) at the campus Trader Joe’s. About as late as I’d live to have a beer (two months), but better than three months. Abnormal’s website called it a “Hazy India Pale Ale Dry-Hopped With Nelson Sauvin and Galaxy Brewed In Celebration Of Almanac’s 10th Anniversary. There was a time when Almanac swore never to brew an IPA. Not because we didn’t like IPAs, but rather because we didn’t know if we could create a beer compelling enough to stand out from the already saturated sea of great IPAs. Those days are long gone, and as we celebrate our 10th trip around the sun, we raise a toast to our amazing team of innovators and to you, our fans, who continue to inspire us to create. Join us in saying cheers, and we hope you find this a compelling IPA!”

Poured a medium hazy color with 4-to-5 fingers of rocky white head. Just a few bubbles coming up along the sides of the glass. World-class foamy lacing. Almost perfect foamy retention. (Sight - 4.50)

Smelled tangerine, orange blossom, Nelson, white grape, peach, passion fruit, papaya, mango, Galaxy, spoiled fruit and orange citrus. Seemed a bit old. Much better out of the can. (Smell - 3.75)

Taste wasn’t even as good as the nose. In order got tangerine, orange blossom, Nelson, peach, passion fruit, orange citrus, papaya, Galaxy, mango and spoiled fruit. (Taste - 3.50)

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Abrupt finish. (Feel - 3.75)

Not the best hazy IPA by any means but it was good overall. I think this two-month-old can hurt the review overall. (Overall - 3.75)

3.70 | 84 | B

Canned date of 7/14/21,Bought off a room temp shelf about 8/30/21. Refrigerated since then and poured into a tall tulip glass. About 1 finger white head. The liquid is yellow grapefruit in color, tinged with a hint of some orange/amber color. I'm getting nelson hops on the nose. Rather short lived head and very little lacing.
I 'm struggling to come up with a description of the flavor. I'm not getting identifiable fruit.. Maybe some passion fruit but mostly just a balance between hops, especially Nelson, and the malts. If this went flat maybe I could compare it to a viognier wine. Not much bitterness, but not really expected for NE IPA. It is lighter body than I expected for a hazy IPA that is this opaque. A fine, but borderline overly foamy carbonation in the mouthfeel. Upon swallowing it triggers a weird phlegmy feel or secretion that I can't remember having before and don't care to have again. Overall I'm not overly impressed when judged against expectations for a 10th anniversary best effort.

Can dated 07/14/21 into an imperial nonic pint. Hazy but not murky with big ringed lacing, very enjoyable nose that's heavy on Nelson attributes. Taste brings in more Galaxy elements, finishes with moderate bitterness and slight astringency. Low-medium bodied with medium carbonation. An enjoyable hazy but dosen't blow you away.