Violet Ray
Relic Brewing Co.

Thanks, Shri!

A bitter and moderately fruity IPA that's got some of the best characteristics of a hazy but in a bitter IPA? Sign me up. Clean, pungent, fruity with a lovely mosaic hop character, oily and bitter. The palate is clean and bitter with some moderate fruity notes. Very tasty.

 

 

 

One of my favorite New England breweries.
Excellent hop profile, Citra and mosaic.
Sweet, floral, citrus, and tropical fruit.
Moderately hoppy.
Excellent beer!

I have tried to follow Relic pretty closely over the past few years, and their IPAs have gone from undrinkable to excellent and then back to hit-or-miss, and I feel we're still in the realm of "not sure whether or not this'll be fantastic or trash," so to say they're inconsistent is probably putting it lightly, but I still enjoy checking their stuff out because I think the "heart" is in the right place for them, and that's what matters... kinda. Let's hope this one is great, eh?

Pours a hazy, cloudy deep-orange with a fluffy head of bone-white foam that laces extremely well and carries itself properly. Decent legs and solid retention, with good surface coverage to boot. I'm into it, for sure, but there isn't much to say. It's nearly opaque, so checking for carbonation is difficult-to-impossible. Moving on...

Nose is a little grainier than I expected. I don't see a can date here, which is a little disappointing because these guys have definitely dated some of their beers in the past that I can recall, but I think this is probably pretty fresh. They don't distribute a lot to the MA area anymore, so the drops they make are few-and-far-between, which means this is likely about 4-5 weeks young. Anyway, the first notes I pick up are tangerine, dank pine, light raspberry, ethanol, passion fruit, and a hint of coconut or some other oddly tannic/sweet fruit/addition. Perhaps some earthy spice and chive as well. In other words, this is in character for Mosaic, a hop known to do all manner of odd stuff. Citra and Mosaic is a great partnership, but since Relic's beers sometimes tend to be a bit more, shall we say, characterful, I think the usual elements these two hops typically present is a bit swept aside. Not a bad thing, necessarily, but it should be said that this doesn't feel like a "typical Citra/Mosaic IPA."

Mango smoothie and strong papaya/passion fruit on the tongue with a hint of pineapple and peach. Slightly resinous and bitter in the finish with a strong oat and/or wheat presence in the mid-palate, carrying along some other subtle flavors of grapefruit, grass, and doughy yeast. Definitely a complex and enjoyable IPA, somewhat more "normal" than the nose led me to believe initially. I do get some leafy greenness and a slight chive-like note here, as well, but they're kinda buried under the tropical fruit. Good stuff, for sure.

Feel is a little heavier bodied than some other 7%ers I've had. It's chewy and yeast-driven, too, with a slightly savory and moderately sweet finish. Not as dry as some other NEIPAs, but also not overly bold. Carbonation is on the lower end, and the malt element is well-balanced with the hops. I sometimes think Relic could do with slightly more dry-hopping, and I have a similar desire with this one. It can come across a bit stale if you're used to more "saturated" hoppy NEIPA style beers, but it should also prove a good accompaniment to an Autumnal night if you're hankering for a solid hop-forward offering.

A: cloudy; pale gold in color; 1 finger finely pored white head that receded to a wispy cap; nice lacing;

S: predominantly grapefruit;

T: a combination of grapefruit and grapefruit zest - more grapefruit up front and then balanced through the moderately bitter finish;

M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish;

O: a little one note - I happen to like that note;

16oz can. First time trying beer. Cloudy yellow/orange haze that you can't see through. Great lacing. In fact when I thought there was no head I tilted the glass and can still see it on the side and bottom of the glass. The smell is very hoppy/grassy which I enjoy. The taste is very citrusy. Like fruit juice similar to a orange-pineapple combo. There is sweetness but not at all overpowering sweet. I can drink more than just one. I let the beer sit till room temperature and it still taste great. First time to hoppy mosaic IPA's should be pleasing to most. I quite enjoyed this beer. I can see it becoming a favorite of mine.

16. Oz Can - 7 Day’s Fresh

A: Thick Peach/orange color. Looks like pineapple juice. Two fingers of white foamy head. The retention is good with some nice sticky thick lacing.

S: Strong. Pungent. Tropical. Citrus. Pine. Hops.

T/M: Similar to the aroma at first. Tropical and citrusy. Bitterness is well balanced with sweeter fruit flavors. Mango. Smooth. As the beer warms a more prominent flavor of stone fruits and oats appear. Some tropical bitter flavors linger in the dry aftertaste.

O: Nice juicy flavorful IPA. I really enjoyed drinking this beer. Nicely balanced. Another solid offering from Relic. (Brewed and canned at Thomas Hooker).

Cheers!!!

 

 

Poured from a tallboy can into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Hazed golden pour with thick foamy white head. Great lacing.

S: Citrus juice. Grapefruit and tropicals.

T/F: Just like it smells... a big tropical juice bomb. Pineapple, grapefruit, tangerine, and peach. Fruity sweetness followed by some nice hop bitterness... some resin and pine but mostly tropicals. Creamy and sticky on the tongue.

O: A very well done juice-bomb IPA. Probably the best I've had from Relic.

 

 

 

On tap.

Looks an opaque orange gold with a thick white head.
Nice smell, big tropical orange juice hops.
Taste is good, more citrus and tropical flavors, but a grassy floral edge too.
Feels juicy smooth, thick hop oils and low moderate bitterness.

Overall very tasty! I'm not sure it's my favorite from Relic but it is quite good.

 

 

12oz can. Pours a dirty brown color with an inch of head. Good amount of lacing. Fruity aroma of citrus, berries and maybe some pear. Some herbal and piney hop notes. The taste is mostly the berries followed up by some citrus peel and pineapple. Piney and slightly dank hops as well. Pineapple and berry finish. Lots of carbonation with a medium body and dry mouthfeel.