Shape Of Haze To Come With Raspberry And Lemon
Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company

 

Without a Fruited Imperial India Pale Ale category, just Imperial IPA works for now. The entire contents of a pint can emptied easily into a clear glass liter mug, as there's only a modest head. The head is off-white, with a tint of the color of the brew. That tint comes from the solid dark orange-amber beer beneath it. Although rather dark and completely opaque, there is a pleasant brightness to it. The lemon, more so and then the raspberry, contribute to most of the aroma. For the nose, this isn't much different than many fruited kettle sours; but, not to the taste. This has a solid piney-resinous hoppy bite, no doubt abetted by the generous ABV. Also, the body is much fuller, even heavier than most fruited sours. This is an Imperial IPA and it's a pretty good one, if you like fruity ones. To the taste, compared to the nose, the lemon is toned down and the raspberry allowed a contribution. Both almost match the hops, until the finish, where the bitter bite of hops are often most noticed, anyway. The very modest head sustains and there's even some well-defined stratified glass lacing. The Shape Of Hops, or Of Haze To Come is a solid set of Imperial IPAs produced by this commendable brewery. Maybe not more than one of these at any single episode, but this is worth a try and occasional revist.