Relax & Dream
Fiddlehead Brewing Company

 

 

this is insanely good beer, fresh from the brewery, canned just a few days prior to us enjoying it. to just call it a pale ale seems like some sort of disservice to how good and special this really is, among the best hoppy beers i have had from these guys, even the famous ones, its incredible, and all who drank it agreed. hazy and light in color, but still with a glow, frothy white head rests on top, and the whole thing smells like crushed mangoes, peaches, strawberries, and coconuts, its tropical and woodsy somehow at the same time, and its juicy while also having some apparent bitterness to it, simple, earthy grain supports all this. the flavor is just as pungent and alive as the nose, with cool nuances of kiwi, white currant, and starfruit, some white grape too, and some protein and starch from the grain, some raw wheat likely here, some pils malt, and very light two row barley, at least to me. id love to know what the hop mix is, but it bursts and drips with freshness, unique fruit tones, and a more familiar wet pine finish, some moderate bitterness, and a nice pleasant hoppy linger. its just wicked beer, drinkable as hazy beer ever has been, and at an all day sort of abv. i thought this was truly exceptional, a standout from an enormous crowd of samey pales and ipa types. cant wait for my next one!

 

As a big Twiddle fan (Twiddle is a Vermont based jam bands with a very positive vibe and message) I was very happy to finally get to Fiddlehead brewery and be able to purchase cans. The title: "Relax and Dream" is a line used in Twiddle songs and Fiddlehead has contributed generously to Twiddles charity The White Light Foundation. Had a few pours straight from the tap while I was there on Friday July 26th right before the Tumbledown festival at the Waterfront in Burlington, VT. This review is based on the beer from the can, not the tap

Bottom of can: 7/22/19
Opened and reviewed on 7/30/19

A slight inner white haziness within the straw golden color. Fine white foam cover is relaxed and hangs on tight. A little lace hangs over a decent amount of cover until the end.

The nose has an interesting hop and yeast complexity, much like a sour lemon and funky herbal Belgian-styke charecteristic. Spice and citrus, sour golden wheat and summer grasses also pop out.

With the first sip, it becomes very obvious that the light appearance is very tricky because the mouthfeel starts out light and zippy with a tart fruit and grains flavor. Then in the middle and finish, full, smooth and silky. Seems like there must be oats and wheat in the mix, I'm picking it up in both feel and flavor. (?)
Tart malted grains, sour citrus, summer meadow grasses and spicy lemon zest is pretty deep in the hop and grains flavor. Strange and interesting hop effect.
Very light and easy approach, as a flavorful session IPA at 5.3%abv.
Relax and Dream is the perfect name for this one!

 

 

 

canned 07/23/2018

L- The beer pours a pale yellow with the haziness of grapefruit juice. The head is towering 4 fingers of fluffy white bubbles. This recedes to a thing film with a thick outer ring. Lacing is heavy with curtaining.
S- The nose is sweet citrus. It gives me the impression of a mix of lemons and oranges that leans sweet rather than tart.
T-The nose and palate align. The same slightly sweet combo of orange and lemon presents itself here. It's fairly one note in that the flavor is consistent from beginning to the end of the sip. Bitterness is light, probably too light.
F- Mouthfeel is fairly thick for an APA. It's on the higher side of medium overall. More in line with a DIPA. Not overly quenching with the low bitterness and thick mouthfeel.
O- This one is a strange combination of parts for an APA. It reminds me of a scaled down version of Two Roads "Too Juicy". It seems like a session DIPA. If your looking for that than this will fill the bill. If you want a light session brew on a hot day, I'd look elsewhere.

Canned 7/23/18. Pours a bright, hazy whitish-yellow hue with a thin head into my glass. Juicy citrus rind dominates the nose. Acidic citrus burn with a sweet touch toward the finish. Refreshing on this unbearably hot day.