Heist Decoder
Tired Hands Brewing Company

 

 

Hazy, murky, tan tinged golden with an off white head medium in size and great lacing. Aromas of citrus and pineapple. Notes of grapefruit pulp, pineapple chunk, tree sap, oatmeal, and orange rinds. Full side or medium, soft, creamy and dry. Straightforward juicy IPA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can dated 11/20/16.

Pours like murky grapefruit juice with a half-inch khaki head that remains as a thin cap on top and leaves strands of lace. The smell is a blend of grapefruit, orange and pineapple juice with a hint of banana. The taste follows with the sweet elements hitting first and the bitterness coming in on the finish. Full texture with medium carbonation.

 

 

Canned 11/30/16. Consumed 12/9/16.

A: Pours out a light orange bordering on golden straw color with about a finger of fluffy white head. Full haze, with a dark center that seems to just be absorbing any light that attempts to pass through. Beautiful appearance for the style (NE IPA).

S: Very oaty and tropical with a vegetal dankness underlying. I get mostly pineapple and orange up front. Fruit notes are very intense and sharp; rather than the fresh flesh or juice, I'm almost picking up on candied or concentrated versions of those fruits. Somehow, this smells creamy, with almost a vanilla/lactose sweetness and a bit of bubblegum complementing the fruit aromas. Behind all that, there's definitely a dank pine note that provides some balance and depth. Nose is pretty intense overall, bigger than I'd expect given ABV.

T: Taste follows the nose, but more citric than the aroma. Notes of highly concentrated, sweet orange juice hit up front, followed quickly by a big smack of pine and bitter green vegetables (kale?). Initial taste is supported by a creamy, oaty malt backbone that offers a some breadiness to the flavor. It almost has that orange creamsicle feel to it, but the body isn't quite there. Beer finishes with a lingering OJ flavor, a sharp, citrus peel bitterness, and that piney earthiness.

M: Very smooth up front, with soft, light carbonation till that medium-plus bitterness hits on the finish. Medium weight on the palate, pretty much what I'd expect given the ABV. Pithy, citrus peel bitterness really hits on the finish and sits on the middle of the tongue. Some dryness also helps clean up the taste.

O: Another fantastic IPA from Tired Hands. I've been really impressed with their recent efforts (esp when Galaxy hops are used), and Heist Decoder builds on that trend. They seem to know how to make the most of Galaxy, as I find the flavor/aroma profile on this to be very similar to my favorite Galaxy-hopped beer (Tree House Green). While the mouthfeel isn't that mouth-coating, silky creamsicle thing that I get on Green (and others in the style), this one offers some balance that I don't usually get on NE style IPAs. It's very juicy, smooth, and fruit-forward up front, but on the finish, a pretty assertive piney bitterness takes hold and lingers on the tongue. It reminds me of a west coast IPA finish, and I suspect the Simcoe hops are to thank for this. Overall, this is really good, as one would expect from the two breweries involved!

Fantastic IPA and so far my favorite from Tired Hands.... My house beer is TreeHouse and this could easily be on of theirs (Julius or Green) if I didn't know any better.... Murky white peach color, aromas and flavors of peach, melon, and citrus...all muted behind subtle piney hops and a mildly bitter finish... silky smooth... well done boys!

Smells of creamy tropical fruit sorbet - hint of alcohol. Huge waves of mango, pineapple, peaches, and cream in the taste. Lightly bitter and drying on the backend; medium-thick mouthfeel. Ridiculously smooth and easy-drinking.

Perhaps the other reviewer had a bad can - this is easily my favorite beer I've had yet from Tired Hands. It brings me back to the first time I had Tree House's Green, especially with it's creamy tropical sorbet resemblance. It's lacking a bit of the earthy depth that that beer has, but otherwise this is still excellent. Highly recommended.