Space Needle
Tired Hands Brewing Company

Traded for this a while ago, never having had it before. Not sure what the reference is since it doesn't look like anything that came from Seattle or even E.T., but I"m not quite sure why it was rated so highly on here. Yes, my can was old but there wasn't any legible stamping on the bottom so I have on idea how old this was when I cracked it open tonight. For an IPA, this was perfectly find and serviceable but it wouldn't be the first one that I'd reach for!

The pour to this was typical as the beer had a honeydew hue to it that was cloudy and somewhat waxy while not being terribly radiant. Plenty of head topped it off as the lacing left behind was quite voluminous as the rings were thick and bled down to the ones below. A good amount of tropical fruits, citrus, dank hops, and urine (yes, I said it) in the nose as the taste contained all of those as well. Plenty of fruit, murky hops, and forest were present in the taste along with some vanilla cream and grass that gave this beer plenty of depth and a typical profile for an American IPA. Lightly carbonated and easy to quaff, this didn't go down mindlessly but there wasn't anything particularly noteworthy about it at the same time...

The alcohol was hidden well and surprisingly, there was very little sediment at the bottom of my glass when I finished this off. Not one of Tired Hands better brews but if you like their other offerings or IPA's in general, there was nothing wrong with this. Worth a go once but like a few others on here, I would have preferred to have this fresh!

 

 

 

From a can dated 9 Nov 2016. Unfiltered grapefruit juice appearance. Nose seems like unsweetened pineapple juice to me - while not offensive, I am not sure I would call it inviting either. Like the nose suggests, taste seems to be dominated by unsweetened pineapple juice. There is a little dank and some light tropicals. Mouth feel is relatively smooth. Overall, this is pretty decent, but not exceptional. With all the other New England style IPAs popping up everywhere, this one does not really distinguish itself. Can't rule out that it would be better fresher.

Dark almost burnt orange color, very hazy, small white head, great lacing. Huge hoppy fruit laced aroma. Citrus fruit, pineapple, tropical fruit, coconut essence and dank. Fuller medium body, slick and creamy. Billed as a fatty IPA, I get it, but this shines as an IPA and it's fantastic.

 

 

 

 

Look: super hazy, orange, thick white head
Smell: tropical, citrus, Pinaple, dank hops
Taste: tropical fruit front, orange, dank hops and all most a hint of vanilla at the end
Feel: super smooth, soft mouth feel, moderate bitterness, super clean and fresh.
Overall: really solid ipa, similar to green just not on the same level.

 

 

 

Canned 11/9/16. Consumed 11/24/16.

A: Beer pours a deep orange / light amber color with full-on haze. This this is opaque and just looks thick in the glass. About a finger of pillowy white head sticks around for a while and leaves heavy strings of lacing on the glass. Beautiful NE-style appearance.

S: This is like a bouquet of tropical and citrus fruits. Huge pineapple up front, along with some mango, orange, and a hint of lemon. There's a little bit of coconut aroma underneath, but it's hard to pick it out from the vanilla-y 'orange creamsicle' note I sometimes get from Galaxy, which is very strong on this one. I also get a little something 'green' in the background, slightly grassy and herbal tea-like. Overall, aroma is pretty intense.

T: Wow. Up front, follows the nose with a big smack of citrus. I get navel orange, sweet tangerine juice, and a hint of lemon zest. There's also some tropical notes--pineapple for sure, and maybe some mango. Transitions nicely into a light doughy malt, a bit of ester-y banana (maybe yeast?), and dank coconut on the backend, which lends a creaminess to the heavy citrus notes to enhance the 'orange creamsicle' feel I get from some Galaxy-hopped beers. Slightest 'tinge' of booze on the swallow as it warms, but nothing unpleasant.

M: Medium-plus feel with a soft-moderate carbonation and a medium weight on the palette. It packs a ton of flavor up front, but mid-taste, the intensity dips slightly (though it returns on the finish to provide a lingering aftertaste). No alcohol and just enough malt character to carry the hop flavors along. And despite the overwhelming fruitiness, there isn't much sweetness--nor bitterness on the finish--to speak of.

O: I am extremely impressed by this one. Space Needle is the most similar beer--that I've had--to Tree House's Green (my favorite IPA). The aroma and taste are scarily similar to that of Green, offering the same pineapple and 'orange sorbet' notes (perhaps enhanced by the coconut?). The two beers differ most heavily on mouthfeel; whereas Green is creamy, full, and soft throughout, Space Needle is lighter, slightly harsher, and a bit more effervescently carbed. And Space Needle doesn't have the bitter, herbaceous finish of Green. But still, I can say that this is the best Galaxy-hopped single IPA I've had and my favorite Tired Hands beer. I'm still not totally sure how the coconut (or Crystal hops) contributed to this one, but they totally work! Really hope TH brews this again sometime!

 

 

Pours a hazy bright yellow color. Galaxy hops for sure, some citrus, pine, and fruits malts. Very good IPA; super easy to drink and I liked it a lot.