Defloured
Witch's Hat Brewing Co.

 

 

Good

 

 

Had this beer today on draft at Bridge Street Tap Room in Charlevoix, MI. Absolutely lovely, way better than I expected. Great feel, delicious flavor but with a slight bitter edge that mellowed the hops. I really liked it.

 

Good looking beer. Looks very thick & juicy (Sir Mix-A-Lot would approve). Murky, opaque off yellow with a finger of dense head that faded to a decent ring. Ok lacing. Aroma bursts from the glass and is very heavy on the grapefruit / citrus notes. It's a bias for me, but I love beers that smell like this. Plenty of herbal notes on the tongue, with grapefruit & miscellaneous citrus notes again coming through. This is not the juice bomb I thought it was going to be. More bitterness than I expected, but not in a bad way. Very enjoyable overall.

Very attractive opaque lemon-yellow body with a hint of orange; reminiscent of Tree House or Trillium in the nearly pulpy appearance. Good head production and retention.

Rather green and herbal on the nose, along with both citrus and tropical fruit expressions. Flowers (no pun intended - ha!), weeds and grass, peach, apple, blueberry, orange, mango, honey.

As with the nose, the initial emphasis is on greener, more herbal notes, along with a mild to moderate dankness that builds around mid-sip. Very bright, green, and fresh bite immediately, with notes of oregano and basil, before peach, orange, mango, and papaya. Lemongrass finish.

Moderate bitterness; this brew has not gone "full hazy." Similarly, while it's smooth on the palate, with a certain creaminess - almost graininess - it's still quite lively, with a ton of bite.

This is a very tasty IPA, although the profile is much more herbal than befits my personal preferences. For others, that might be exactly what they crave. It also seems to occupy an interesting niche in between NE and more traditional WC IPAs: still firmly bitter, extremely crisp, but with oats and wheat supporting a slightly creamier mouthfeel - and very, very hazy.

 

 

 

Canned 8.27,opened 9.30

12oz can poured into a Will becher glass , three finger solid white foam cap , very good retention, very good lacings over a
Turbid orange liquid

Aroma is citrus , tangerine, pine

Taste is citrus, pine

Medium sudsing, hoppy taste , gentle nibble

Good beer

Received 9/8/20 in a Ninja box from @foundersasap. Reviewed 9/20/20. Thanks Jeff!
Date on bottom of can “CANNED ON 08/11/2020”. Stored at home at 42 degrees and served at 45 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Pale straw (SRM 2), murky.
Body – Straw (SRM 3), murky. When held to direct light, translucent. Unfiltered.
Head – Large (Maximum 6.5 cm, aggressive center pour), off-white, high density, average duration, diminishing to a five to thirteen mm ragged crown and a complete cap of varying thickness. Many islands of froth remain on the glass as the head retracts.
Lacing – Good. Wide partial bands of very tiny to small bubbles, connected by mostly slender columns, with a rare stalactite.
Aroma – 4 – Fruity hops followed by a bit of piney citrus and pineapple. No malt, no yeast.
Flavor – 4 – Taste follows nose with a little pineapple as well. Noticeably light bitterness. No alcohol (6.3% ABV, as marked on the label) taste or aroma. No diacetyl or dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 4 – Medium, creamy, lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4. The can calls this a hazy IPA; I agree. Good nose, flavor, and appearance as well as good palate thanks to the oats and wheat. Pleasant and refreshing.

 

 

 

 

A - Pours a hazy yellow with a two finger foamy whtie head. Heavy soapy lacing.

S - Aroma is grapefruit, pineapple and floral hops.

T - The taste is pineapple, orange, grapefruit, sweet malts and light foral hops.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a soft dry finish.

O - Nice easy drinking pale ale.