Misdirected
Shades Brewing

i didnt know any of their clean beers really made it to cans until my brother in law scored their variety pack a couple days ago, seems like all of this stuff has come a long way since i visited the brewery a few years back. this one was super impressive to me, maybe my favorite in the pack, very much cut from the sierra nevada cloth, quite a similar beer in a lot of respects really, a high compliment. i dont know what the hops are, but i have to venture a guess of cascade driving this, because it has that lightly peppery spice to it, the piney woodsy character of the northwest, and a clean citrus element that enhances the finish, a lot like what you get from a sierra pale in terms of hop complexion, maybe a little more aggressive here, pushing into the ipa space versus a pale, but the flavors are awfully close. this also has some deeper malt backing than is trendy these days, never sweet, but kilned and warmer to me, slightly rich. the ferment is nice and clean, which was true of all of these cans, much improved over a couple years ago, way more dialed in, maybe they got a lab, either way, its nicely refined, minimal in terms of yeast character, and fast finishing. i think the pine forward nature of this makes it a cool wintery holiday time beer, and i love how the hops are spicy and intense on the aftertaste, they linger long and oily on my tongue, but in such an appealing way. bold and fresh and flavorful, well made, a little old school, this is very solid. among their best clean beers i have tasted!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another hit from Shades of Pale! It pours a copper/light brown color with 2 fingers of off white head; slightly cloudy, but not too much. Very earthy and hoppy in the nose; some dried apricots as well. Tastes like a hop fire with a nice smooth off-caramel finish. Nicely balanced by the massive hops and a hint of bread and citrus; very dry aftertaste. A thinner bodied ale that is perfect for quaffing a few. A lot of flavor and a well-made session IPA!

 

Clear amber colored beer with a small off-white colored head.

Smells malty and woody with a fair amount of strong tea scent. Faint scents citrus.

Starts out malty and mildly hoppy. Fairly dry and bitter.

Mouthfeel is light.

Overall forgettable.

 

Amusing if slightly disconcerting label art of a devil embracing a huge hop bud.

Bought in a mixed six at a Whole Foods store in Salt Lake City recently. 4% is the apparent maximum allowed ABV for beer sold in Utah grocery stores.

Poured from the 12 oz. bottle into a stemmed tulip.

a: Translucent amber with a two inch thick white head which receded slowly.

s: Citrus and pine.

t: Grassy hops up front over medium bready malt, moderate bitterness lingers. Some citrus and even cedar notes emerge later.

m: Medium, goody body and carbonation tingle.

o: An exceptionally grassy/vegetal IPA, different from most, and although the grassiness is so strong that it grates slightly, it mellows after awhile. Overall this has more flavor than most low ABV session IPAs. I'd definitely buy it again if it was available in my area.