Hellboy - Blood Queen
Gigantic Brewing Company

500ml bottle from Toby. Dark golden body, scant head. Light tart aroma, flanders red, burnt. Taste is lightly fruity, notes of cranberry and citrus. Medium tartness.

 

Gigantic Brewing Co. "Hellboy - Blood Queen"
500 ml brown glass bottle without production codes or freshness dating
$5.25 @ Kunda Beverage, King of Prussia, PA

Notes via stream of consciousness: A careful pour has delivered a lightly hazy deep amber/copper colored body beneath a short head of off-white foam. The aroma suggests some sweetness, mild acidity, citrus, apricot, apple, and bready malt. The flavor is fuller, not really that tart, and certainly fruitier with additional notes of cranberry, lemon/lime, peach, and orange. There's also a little bit of grassiness to it. It's moderately bitter but in combination with the acidity it all works out in the end. It lingers with orange, grassiness, and a little bit of earthiness. In the mouth it's medium bodied and gently crisp but with a light touch of acidic bite that livens it. I've had Yuzu beers before and not really been a big fan but in combination with the cranberry it really seems to work well. I think that Yuzu on it's own is a little too one-sided, and edgy, and it needs something else to help round it out. I'm not a Hellboy fan, I should have said that upfront, but I think this beer turned out really well. It's at least unusual, which keeps it interesting.
Review #7,929

 

500 ml bottle poured into a pint glass

A- A clear orange/copper with a red tint and a small off white head.

S- Cranberries, yuzu, citrus, touch of apricots and melons, touch of wheat.

T- Tart, cranberries, yuzu, citrus, earthy, some lacto, wheat.

M- Smooth, light to medium body.

O- A nice sour and easy to drink. Nose smells like fruit snacks, but the taste is there.

500 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 12/2019. Pours crystal clear deep golden amber color with a 1 finger fairly dense and rocky off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big tart/tangy orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, cranberry, fruit skin/pit, citrus peel/zest, peach, pear, melon, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, sea salt, hay, straw, grass, wheat, and white bread dough; with light notes of honey, toast, coriander, pepper, lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of yuzu, cranberry, fruity/acidic yeast, sea salt, and pale/wheat malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big tart/tangy orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, cranberry, fruit skin/pit, citrus peel/zest, peach, pear, melon, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, sea salt, hay, straw, grass, wheat, and white bread dough; with light notes of honey, toast, coriander, pepper, lacto funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tartness; light fruit tang, and coriander spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, cranberry, fruit skin/pit, citrus peel/zest, peach, pear, melon, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, sea salt, hay, straw, grass, wheat, and white bread dough; with light notes of honey, toast, coriander, pepper, lacto funk, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of yuzu, cranberry, fruity/acidic yeast, sea salt, and pale/wheat malt flavors; with a fantastic malt/tart/tangy balance, and zero puckering flavors after the finish. Fairly crisp finishing. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tart/tangy and carbonation. Medium-plus carbonation and body; with a very smooth, creamy/grainy, fairly acidic/tangy/tannic, and lightly sticky/saline mouthfeel that is fantastic. Zero warming alcohol for 6.66%. Overall this is an outstanding fruited imperial gose! All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of yuzu, cranberry, fruity/acidic yeast, sea salt, and pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth and fairly crisp/refreshing to drink with the mellowly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish. Fantastic soft feel, mellowly lactic/salty. Fantastic balance of vibrant cranberry/yuzu and lacto complexity; with a nice sized wheat/malt backbone against acidity. Light residual sweetness with lingering acidic/tangy dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding spot on style example.