Bounding Main
Cape May Brewing Company

a: slightly murky burnt orange color with a hint of copper. huge, 3 finger rocky off-white head

s: pineapple, mango, apricot, tangerine, strawberry, guava, peach. passionfruit, blueberry, dry crackers

t: sweet mango & pineapple juice. orange juice, creamsicle ice cream, candied apricots. dry crackers and tangerines. clementines and some bready malts. a touch of red pepper. a touch of herbal dankness

m: medium-full mouthfeel with moderate carbonation

o: very tasty. sweet, tropical, but well-balanced. would buy again for sure, a nice DIPA that's not too much

 

The next leap of the TARDIS on New Back to the Beer Future Sunday, Part 4, Mission IV, (Week 762) takes us to Cape May, NJ as a part of The CANQuest (tm) and back to Week 751.

From the CAN: "The Sailor's Life Is Bold & Free"; "A Gale of Hops"; "His Home Is On the Open Sea"; "New Jersey Proud"; "Serve In [a bulbous English pint]"; "Best Paired With [chicken legs, Swiss cheese and/or fish]"; "Care for the Cape"; "Profile: Brewed with 5.5 pounds of hops per barrel, Bounding Main has a soft and pillowy mouthfeel, a gentle bitterness, and aromas of tropical fruits: mango, guava, citrus — all with a hint of dank in the background. Like many a stormy wind, Bounding Main will blow you away."; "Crafted On the Cape".

I was anxious to sea (ha!) what this one had in store for me as a retired U.S. Navy sailor & so I
Crack!ed open the vent & beCAN a slow, gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. Once I realized that clarity was neither a CANsideration nor an issue, I allowed it to run more freely. It puffed up to form two-plus fingers of soapy, foamy, rocky, tawny head that showed no interest in sticking around. Color was a deeply-hazy/lightly-cloudy Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, < 7). Nose was very tropical as we came about, heading away from the heavy seas visible through the nearby porthole. I beCAN to reflect on our stores of FF&V, especially the mango, guava & grapefruit that had been bartered for at our last port of call. 8=) I shouted for the mate to pass the word to secure the weather decks as I took my first draught. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, a little on the thin side for the style. The taste was the sort of thing to scratch an itch, if yer a jonesin' hophead, if ye catch me drift. We weren't drifting at this point, but instead, being picked up & put back down by King Neptune in a fit of whimsy! Phew. I had the mate pass the word to batten down the hatches & secure all potential missiles. I took a seCANd sip, reveling in the interplay between the sweet tropical fruit hops & the bitter grapefruit-citrus hops holding the rascals in check. Ahh, this was the way it was meant to be. Not too sweet, not too bitter, but just right! Now the crew are callin' me "Baby Woody". 8=( By gar, if we CAN weather this gale & return to Cape May, I'll show 'em a thing or two! I watched in horror & fascination as wave after wave formed & broke over our fo'c'sle. "Come about, helmsman!" I ordered, since we had begun to porpoise, which is fine if yer a sea creature, but less optimal if yer on a ship. Gad, perhaps some more of this elixir to calm my nerves was in order. Ah, each wee dram was like me mother's touch as a lad - soothing, loving & restorative. "Heave around!" I cried out as we heard the mizzenmast creak as though it might Crack! off & fall into the sea. Oh, I tell ye, there is NOTHING like the North Atlantic Ocean in the Winter! Suddenly, just as I thought we were finished, the storm broke as quickly as it had come up & there, on the horizon, was blessed Cape May. We were safe! The finish of the beer held the same dry bitter sweetness of our return to port. Several of our mates had been swept overboard in the melee, CANsigned to Davy Jones' Locker. 8=( Ah, the Bounding Main is not for everyone, but once ye've partaken, it will remain with you until yer last breath! YMMV.

 

 

Level surface, bleached white, slowly begins to dimple even as it remains impressively persistent, the lacing is wispy and without much stickiness. Hazy yellow-orange liquid, opaque except for the area around the bottom of the glass, dispersed beads of bubbles, not a lot of visual carbonation. Extremely citrusy nose of tangerine, pink grapefruit and lime, some brightening green grass and salted pretzels, crisp and alert pineapple, papaya, kiwi and peach fruit scents, not excessively complex, however, its refreshing nature more than compensates. Full-bodied, round but not necessarily soft, here the dank herbal qualities ratchet up the sourness. The citrus falls back into pink to white grapefruit and contributes to said sourness. Tarry, earthy, lesser presence of pine. The carbonation prickle really helps it reawaken towards the finish when it starts to get monochrome. Consistent level of pineapple, mango, papaya fruit, overall dryness keeps the juiciness in check so that it stays balanced. High level of drinkability and no trace of heat. Could drink afew on a hot summer’s day.

 

 

Poured into a hotel glass. A moderately hazy golden color with a modest white head. Big aroma right out of the glass on the pour with tropical notes, along with a dank, resiny finish. Taste followed with a complex mix of resin, pine, citrus, and tropical notes. The finish was particularly nice with a juicy fruity sensation. Low bitterness and a very soft feel. ABV hidden in this fairly big beer. A nice NEIPA.

Look: Translucent, murky, pale golden yellow and straw to amber. Bone white heat that settles from a couple fingers upon pouring to a thin layer across the top. Some lacing left behind. No visible carbonation. It looks like a NEIPA.

Smell: The nose is very nice on this beer. It does not pop out of the glass, but presents very noticeable notes of tropical and stone fruit, including guava, mango, peach and apricot. Orange and lemon citrus as well.

Taste: Tropical fruit and stone fruit flavors including mango, guava and peach. While somewhat present on the nose, the orange citrus really defines the flavor of this beer. Sweet, freshly sliced, juicy orange. There is a sweet, bready malt profile.

Mouthfeel: Medium body. Pretty soft mouthfeel. It leaves a tickle in my throat. I have a friend who get that’s a lot with certain NEIPA IPA. I rarely get it, and this is one of those times. I believe it is the yeast.

Overall: An enjoyable IPA at a reasonable price. It’s well crafted without trying too hard. A lot of NEIPA’s feel forced. This one does not. If you like easy drinking, soft bodied IPA that don’t fell too heavy and are not overly sweet, you might like this one

 

A solid DIPA by Cape May BC, NJ. Pretty hazy, but not as hazy as others. 7.8 % abv. Very hoppy and delicious!

J

A: Juicy haze with a bright tang like orange coloring. Bready, pitted surface on a dirty white head shows lots of bubbly activity from the strong carbonation beneath. Head retention is rather short lived. Love the juicy tang like coloring, thick with a deep haziness.

S: Loads of grapefruit are juicy and pulp like on the open. Spicy green melon-lime combo with a backdrop of tropical fruitiness, mangoes, guava, and peach in particular. Moderate awareness.

T: Dank hoppiness, wet with some breakfast fruitiness. Good first impression. Tropical notes of mangoes, melon and peach come through. There is some pineapple and some yeastiness providing a good spike in flavor along with some lightly souring pine resins. Peach and mango flavor finishes out with a bit of semi-dry pine resins. Tastes like some malted wheat with some spicy dank hops rounding things out.

M: Malty and grainy mouthful, some bubbly texture provides for a good feel.

O: Labeled as 5.5# hops per barrel, a lot of dank hops and dank fruitiness gives a tart and fruity, New England like ipa flavor. Deep juicy orange haze brings you to the table, the nose provides some melon-lime spiciness and the flavor seals the deal with some tropical dankness and juicy bitterness. Very drinkable.

16 oz can poured into a weizen glass.

Appearance
Hazed-out, cloud golden-blonde. 1 finger of creamy white head.

Nose
Guava, mango, blueberry, peach, pineapple, orange cream, pine, and candy sugar.

Taste
Guava, mango chunks, orange cream, and slight blueberry. Peach & cream, pine sap, and touches of pineapple juice. Light candy sugar and caramel maltiness.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, soft, smooth, and juicy with only a slight hint of bitterness.

Overall
Oh, that's real nice. Tropical, soft, and smooth.

 

 

 

 

Cape May Brewing Company "Bounding Main"
one pint can, coded "1208 10/07/18" and sampled on 08/08/2018
$3.99 @ Roger Wilco, Pennsauken, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: Wow, this is super cloudy and I can see chunks in it. I'm not sure what they are, just heavily sedimented proteins and yeast I guess. It's fairly unattractive. Maybe I should have rolled or shaken the can first? It's a kind of brass gold in color, and the head is a full three-fingers of off-white froth. ... ... ... OK, it's settled down now and I've got a finger-thick cap over a full beer with a little left in the can. The aroma reveals some tropical fruit including grapefruit, mango and orange, and it's a touch resinous or "dank" as well. It's not the boldest of aromas but for some reason double IPAs tend to be lower on the aroma and fuller in the flavor so let's see... well it's sharper and more juicy, and I'm finding some tangerine, lemon, and guava and passionfruit as well as earthiness and spice and a light bit of pine. The malt is basic, not particularly even sweetish, and it seems a little unbalanced to me. It seems like a New England style IPA but with more strength to it, or a double IPA where the malt's just been fermented out that much more. It's got a median carbonation and it's medium-light in body, and it feels a little thin in the mouth for a double IPA although I understand they're doing a kind of double New England IPA thing here so I guess I can give them a pass. Maybe they should have labeled it as a Hazy Double IPA? It's not that bitter for a standard double IPA, but more than enough for what it is. Does it list the IBUs on the can? No, but I'm guessing it's around 45. It's not prevalent while it's in your mouth but that bitterness lingers and grows in the finish. Overall it's not bad - certainly not bad! - but it could surely be more balanced. It's nicely rounded though with plenty of hop flavors that work well betwitx themselves and with the malt but in the end, as David Bowie once told Chris Martin of Coldplay regarding his request for a duet on one of his songs, I'll also tell Cape May, "It's not one of your best."
Review# 6,188