Wedge Issue (Citra/Mosaic)
Carton Brewing Company

Canned on 1/20/2020. Poured into a Carton pub glass. It pours a turbid, golden-tangerine color with a half finger of creamy, bright white head and thick, creamy lacing. It resembles a NEIPA. There's lots of orange/tangerine on the nose, along with oats, berries, and an unusual earthy, floral smell which I assume comes from the combination of the Mosaic and Citra hops. I was struggling how to describe it - It almost reminds me of fertilizer but in a good way. The taste bursts with both sweet and tart citrus followed by raspberry and oats that provide additional sweetness. There are also notes of wheat cracker and stone fruit in the background. It finishes with mild bitterness and a touch of acidity. The tastes are big and bold but they don't blend seamlessly. This ale has a nice, creamy mouth feel with a fairly lively carbonation, and the 8.2% ABV gives it a nice punch. Overall, Wedge Issue is a big, fruity Pale Ale. It's a typically adventuresome Carton beer. I'd like to see it a little smoother with perhaps more oat characteristics to balance the citrus.

Look: The beer pours an opaque, pale - deep gold color. A tightly packed finger of head. No visible carbonation. A very attractive New England Style IPA.

Smell: This beer does one of my favorite things you can get from a Mosaic NEIPA. The aroma is crushed sweet tart candies. Fruity, bright, and tropical juice. A lot of berries including blueberry and raspberry. The grain bill is distinctively dry and crackery, adding layers to the aroma. Great nose.

Taste: I’m not loving the flavor profile, and it’s definitely less enticing than the aroma. It’s not chalky or vitamin-like, two qualities sometimes used to describe NEIPA, but there’s something about the form of hops (I assume that’s the issue for me here) that’s coming off as “green” / plant-like and just a hint offputting dry and slightly astringent hop bite. The flavor does follow suite to some extent with the aroma. The berries are there and some very underripe mango.

Feel: Low to medium carbonation, nicely dry on the finish but a bit too much hop bite on the palate.

Overall: This beer started out very strong for me with a great nose, but fell flat due to the hop flavor issues that I described above. A rare Carton miss for me.

 

1st Review. This oaty, juicy, citra/mosaic smooth IPA is the latest from Carton.
At the brewer, I doubled up on this, elevating from taste to full pour - the local compliment.
a) Hazed cloud of apricot nectar sports sparse head w dotty lace.
s) Melon, grapefruit, grass, grapes, berries, pears, whole wet fruit.
t) Follows aroma, offers a juicy fruit cocktail of nectar like whole, juicy fruit flavors alongside the oat base with a bit of hemp.
f) juicy like you remember the canned pears and fruit cocktail of childhood. Powerful.
o) For those who like round, juicy, fleshy IPAs - this is it.