Beach Time
Wilmington Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

Appearance: Arrives a somewhat cloudy honey color with a one finger head; spotty lacing

Smell: Citrusy tones of orange and grapefruit combine with mango and peach

Taste: Tropical flavors of mango and peach give way, in the middle, to grapefruit and orange flavors; relatively low bitterness and a dry finish

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation; a bit aqueous

Overall: A pleasant, sessionable NE IPA

 

 

My first offering from Wilmington Brewing Co. Canned on 7/12/2019. Poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass. It pours a bright, slightly hazy, golden color with almost two fingers of fluffy, bright white head and thick, soapy lacing. The smell is subdued but there are hints of both citrus and sweeter tropical fruits. There is also a discernible malt presence, resinous pine, and floral hops. It opens with tart, bitter lemon and grapefruit over a solid dry, wheat cracker base. The sweeter fruits are only noticeable on the tip of the tongue. The Mosaic and El Dorado hops furnish a lot of bitterness and bite particularly hard at the finish. This ale is lite and crisp with fairly lively carbonation, and with a moderate 5.4% ABV it goes down very easily. Overall, this is an outstanding ale. To me, it's more of a lite West Coast IPA than the NE variety. It's crisp, clean, and perfect for summer activities, whether hanging out at the beach or cutting the lawn. It would also pair well with burgers, hot dogs, or grilled sausages. Next time you're at Wrightsville or Kure Beach, be sure to drink some!

A: Pours a relatively clear golden honey in color with moderate amounts of fine active visible carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass and moderate pale to medium golden yellow + bright yellow colored highlights. The beer has a two finger tall dense sudsy foamy off-white head that slowly reduces to a large patch of slightly mottled thin film covering a little more than 90% of the surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Slightly heavier than moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of juicy citrus/grapefruit, tropical/mango, citrus/orange, stone fruit/peach, and pine hops over the top of light aromas of pale + grainy + cracker + biscuit malts with minimal amounts of sweetness.

T: Upfront there are light flavors of pale + grainy + cracker + biscuit malts with minimal amounts of sweetness. That is followed by moderate to strong flavors of juicy citrus/grapefruit, tropical/mango, citrus/orange, stone fruit/peach, and pine hops which imparts minimal amounts of bitterness which fades away fairly quickly leaving lingering citrus + tropical + stone fruit + pine hop flavors.

M: Slightly heavier than light bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly thin/watery.

O: Easy to drink with well hidden alcohol and a light mouthfeel which would make it easy to drink while sitting out on the beach or by the pool. Very enjoyable with a successful combination of El Dorado + Mosaic hops (which I really dig) making a really pleasant citrus + tropical + stone fruit + pine profile. I could and would like to enjoy a couple of these next time I make it to the beach/pool.