Two Versions Of Me
Cape May Brewing Company

Had to laugh at the label as it was pure Jersey and yes, the beer inside was quite enjoyable too! Been a while since I picked this up but it was worth finding as it held up well while I was away on the road. It was an added bonus that this beer was not typical of something from this neck of the woods, as it reminded me of where I ended up going to in California!

Picked up at ShopRite Liquors in Little Falls over two months ago, this had a nice, waxy amber hue to it with plenty of carbonation and near-perfect head topping it off. The foam was plenty thick and took it's time settling down as the lacing that remained was concentrated in thick rings at the middle of my pint glass. Tons of resin, bright orange, and earthy hops in the nose as the taste followed suit. Plenty tangy, zesty, and sticky, there was a ton of grapefruit and thick stone fruit that emerged on the palate once this fully warmed up. Loved the tingle in the aftertaste as this did not seem as strong as the ABV indicated as that was proven given how quickly this left my glass!

Some floral and fresh-cut grass stuck out in the aftertaste as this had a clear and invigorating finish with hints of Sweet Malt and a bit of weed underneath everything. Amazingly, there wasn't any sediment to be seen in this as it's clarity head up from start to finish as the Amarillo and Chinook hops took me back to my favorite bottled beers of yesteryear. Dated 1/20 on the bottom of the can, this was old but felt old-school more than anything else. Fans of Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas, or Stone would be wise to seek this out, smile at the label and rejoice at this lovely collaboration since it hit the nail on the proverbial head. Indeed, this was hyper-fresh in every sense of the word!

Had this from a can.
A: pours a golden body with a white head with nice retention and lacing.
S: sweet, floral notes with hints of chamomile
T: sweet, chamomile notes with subtle hop notes with an earthy finish; dank, subtle hibiscus notes
M: medium bodied ma damping
O: nice feel and taste combo; interesting beer, overall.

Cape May Brewing Co. "Two Versions of Me"
one pint can coded "BORN B603 0212021 14:44". Sampled on 050521.
$4.99 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: Hazy golden body beneath a short head of creamy white foam. Hoppy aroma! It's citrusy and softly piney. There's definitely some orange there, grapefruit, and maybe some mango as well. I think I'm getting some berry as well which might indicate Mosaic hops but I'm not sure. On to the tasting then! It's as the aroma suggests with a bit more going on. My first impression is that this is a Simcoe and Amarillo beer with notes of citrus (grapefruit, orange), berry, apricot, passion fruit, and light herbs coming through. There's also more pine than the aroma suggests, and that lingers in the dry and fruity finish. The malt is fairly basic and sweetish/grainy. The bitterness is quite firm but not bold or brash - it's nicely balanced. I wish there was more on the tropical side of the hops but they've called this a West Coast IPA and I think they've hit that with a little bit of a more current spin on it already. Nicely done. The head has held up well and it's left some nice lacing about the glass. It's medium bodied and crisp. Overall I find it nicely done, and slightly different than the average West Coast IPA.
Review #7,315

 

 

 

 

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Maybe I’m overrating this beer because I’ve had local breweries make “west coast” IPAs that look as cloudy as NE IPAs and are not very bitter. This one is extremely clear, which is nice. Aroma of malt combined with a bit of fruit. Smells like a brew house. Taste is of some old school citrus bitterness. Quite good and a nice change of pace.