Cove At Raglan
Kane Brewing Company

 

 

Traded for this a while ago, as this was dated 3/21/17 on the bottom of the can (yes, I'm behind!). Not a particularly memorable beer and not on the level of the Head High or the Overhead but by itself, this was enough to enjoy as the unique hop profile and softness of the mouthfeel were enough to draw me in and hold my attention throughout my session...

Not a bad pour to this as the liquid was a muted apricot with plenty of opaqueness and a sufficient head to top it off. Only a faint trace of a ring could be seen on the inside of my goblet as I worked my way through this and for an old beer, there wasn't much sediment that sank to the bottom of the liquid. Tons of papaya, lime pith, citrus rind, and soft hops could be found in the nose as more of these same through in the taste. This reminded me of a beer from SingleCut because of the Southern Hemisphere hops that were featured, as they melded together nicely and had a pleasing, earthy dankness to them that drew me in. Just a bit overripe, the mouthfeel was balanced and allowed to come forth because of how light the carbonation was, as the malt was quite basic and recessed even though the Golden Promise should have stood out more...

The amount of booze in this was quite low as well as the oats could only be detected in the body and not on the palate. This was not the best that Kane had to offer but if I wanted to grab something to relax with, there's no doubt that this would be a good choice. Fun stuff that nearly felt like pure juice, from the other side of the world!

 

 

 

 

As new and exciting hops hit the market, experimentation is in high gear. And with that experimental attitude in mind, the Kane Brewing team puts themselves on an island. -a Riwaka island.

Cove at Raglan's prelude to orange juice and tropical fruits is cast with an equally orange, golden and peach color that's shaded by a heavy foggy gaze. Stone fruit, citrus and under ripened exotic fruit blends have a berry-like spiciness that tingles the nose. Its taste is the soft poundcake and cashew character, glossed with light caramel and honey that is typical of the malt profile of more British type ale.

And as the hops open up, the uniqueness of Riwaka hops begin to shed their unique character. Pink grapefruit, lemon and under ripened oranges tease the tastebuds while a wash of tropical fruits provide a tangy passionfruit, kiwi and apricot taste that treads on the estery side of Brit beer as well. Bitterness is sharp, peppery and grassy, giving the finish a pilsneresque bite in the beer's final fame.

Medium bodied and malty dry, the beer's malt profile continues a bready and creamy support for hops as the ale evades absolute dryness in finish. It's bitterness is piquant and short, leaving a citrusy linger on after palate. The Riwaka hops have a unique but favorable "down under" character, but it may have a hard time carrying a beer by itself, like Mosaic or Galaxy can.

 

 

 

 

 

16oz can stamped 3/21

It is an apricot orangish tinted gold color. Pulpy, with a decent amount of off white foam.

The aroma is oddly, and strongly of baked bread/pizza crust and a nuttiness that I swear smells like peanut butter, spicy ripe fruit, and yeast.

There is a very prickly, spicy mango flavor up front with a lemon-lime mixer, earthy stone fruit, pineapple, herbal hops, and a lingering whole grain pizza dough, a peanut shell, and some aspirin like chalky bitterness.

The body is fluffy and chewy with some yeast bite. Well carbonated.

This one is not terrible, but not great either. I swear I have had nothing to eat (or smoke) and there is a very unique, odd aroma and flavor in there that doesn't belong.

This is a most unusual American IPA. I missed the cans but was able to have it on draught at a restaurant. It pours an unusual muddy apricot color with a thin, almost non-existent head. The smell reminds me of an exotic cocktail at a Polynesian restaurant: lots of mango, papaya, and other sweet tropical fruit, along with some lime, grapefruit, and a whiff of floral hops. When first sipped, I thought it was a tropical fruit bomb with some subtle lime. The New Zealand hops have a unique taste; I've had Motueka before Wakatu was new to me. It finishes rather dry and slightly bitter, although the bitterness becomes more evident as the glass warms. This ale is rather thin in body, crisp, with moderate carbonation, and its 6.8% ABV gives it just enough substance without being too heavy. Overall, Cove at Raglan is a pretty unique American IPA with its appearance and combination of unusual hops and sweet tropical fruit. I hope that Kane cans another batch so I can compare it to draught.

 

 

On tap at the brewery.

An ok IPA but nowhere near most of their other hoppy offerings. Wheat, light citrus and lemon lime...just not as hoppy as their other IPA's.