Surefire Bullseye
Societe Brewing Co.

 

 

Clear amber brew with fine=grained white foam in the Maredsous goblet. Pleasing aroma of lime and orange. Lush and sudsy on the tongue. Slightly sweet with a malty start. Tangy and a little sharp with a bitter aftertaste in the old-school IPA manner. Flavors of lime peel with darker resiny finish. A boldly flavored hoppy brew with a clean taste. From the 16 oz can purchased at the beer store. Dated 11/08/23.

Poured a dense looking orange with a nice think creamy top. Aroma was a delicious hoppiness of citrus, floral and subtle earth tones. Tasted just as amazing! Right amount of sweet malt mixed with the hop bitterness. Medium mouthfeel with just the right amount of carbonation and slightly dry finish. Overall loved this beer!

Very, very good WCIPA from Societe. I got this one in Temecula, CA (near San Diego) at the Trader Joe's there as a single.

It was brewed 10/3/23 and consumed today, 11/15 so not old by any means, but not super fresh either ("super fresh" to me is like 3 weeks or fresher). I like it from a can at 6 months old max, under three months preferably.

In summary:
This West Coast IPA delivers a very hoppy yet well-balanced and drinkable beer. The standout elements are: amazing can art, looks amazing in the glass, and delivers an amazing hop mixture that is both hop-forward but balanced with some amazing malts. It's neither old-school OR newfangled, but a great well-balanced IPA.

Looks:
Can art is rad! Green with old school western graphics (see pic). Pours a golden, orangey super opaque-- so it appears to be unfiltered. I poured it into a 14 oz tulip glass and it started with a 2" thick head that dissipated into a 1/2" of persistent foam head. Looks exceptionally good!

On the nose:
Citrus and sweet, hoppy orange zest and loads of hard-to-define hoppiness. Also get some serious bready malts. Mmmm!

Taste:
Like the nose, loads of hoppy goodness but nothing stands out in particular other than citrus-forward BUT not so much grapefruit as orange rinds and zest. Complex yet simple, not that that makes any sense. Very good and it begs for another sip. Malty? Not really, but you can detect the malts and they counteract the hops very well.

Mouthfeel:
Medium. Very, very nice. Medium-dry on the finish. Very well played here, the beer is balanced and well-crafted.

Overall:
A must try for any hop head. I'd say Societe is one of the best breweries in Southern California and the states as it comes to amazing IPA-style beers. Try this one out if you can!

caned 10/2/23. consumed from a pint glass 11/16. Crystal clear gold color, long-lasting head, lots of sticky lacing. Low carbonation. medium body. Nice bitterness (definitely there but not excessive). Flavor/smell of a complex combination of fruits with a hint of pine. Regardless of my limited sense of smell, this one is noticeable upon pouring.