Crush Cancer
Reuben's Brews

another good one in this crush series, which is only somewhat confusing. really hazy, a mixed grain foundation with wheat and oats in addition to the barley malt, and a very juicy and summery hop profile and very little bitterness, this is super modern but not expertly refined, and felt a little dense and heavy to me for such a vibrant hop profile, almost feels like a double with a lot of starch and body to it, but its dry at the end, has a ton of carbonation, and with the fresh citrusy hops, still has an airy vibe about it, they could definitely scale back the grain soup a bit here though. tangerine, kiwi fruit, and fresh lemon in the hop nose to me, just a touch green, and with some green grape and pear to it as well, earthy cereals beneath the hops, nothing really from the yeast, which i prefer in my hazy types but is increasingly uncommon. the flavor is good too, a little more grain heft, still pale, but now sort of white bread notes supporting the hops, perhaps a hint of graham cracker. the hops flash a little something southern hemisphere, maybe galaxy, a bit of a lime lead wash to this before more familiar citra type meyer lemon and el dorado type cantaloupe notes, although i dont know what hops are actually in here. some generic fruitiness wrapped up in the creamy oat body before the swallow, but dry to finish too. nice beer overall, definitely made by the hop profile and not the malt side, could be lightened a bit, but i enjoyed this one. ive been impressed with reubens since they have come to idaho, especially with their hoppy beers, a great addition to our beer scene here...

16oz can (canned 4/8/2022) into a tulip. Pours a hazy yellow the color of a lemon drop, nice billowy white head settles to a thin film, nice patchy lacing left behind.

Aroma is brightly citrusy and clean, grapefruit and orange dominating. Clean and sharp.

Taste is likewise citrus forward, pale grainy malt in the background. Lots of alpha acids dance on the palate, but residual bitterness is minimal.

Mouthfeel is balanced—medium body, drinkable. Goes down easy.

Overall a solid if unremarkable hazy IPA, certainly worth enjoying, especially if it also helps a worthwhile cause.

Hazy golden pour from a 16oz can; juicy, clean aromas of hops with notes of melon, mango, and stone fruit; dry, biscuity malt backbone as some NZ hops arrive in the form of earthy white wine. Good stuff.

Super herbal and dank nose; pungent, with little in the way of fruity notes.

Smooth and creamy mouthfeel, retaining a hint of liveliness. Flavor is pretty good: peach, mango, guava, and a bit of dirty earthiness. Most of the dankness is on the nose, not in the flavor, but there’s a bit there, along with pepper and mint leaf.

16 oz can, poured into a pint glass. Nice foamy head with small amount of lacing. Very nice color, slightly lighter almost grapefruit juice hue. Smell is light, citrusy, but not impressive and taste is not overpowering, but a nice hint of grapefruit. Overall, it’s not my favorite hazy, but certainly a good drinking beer.

16oz can into a pint glass. Canned 6/2/20, so seven weeks old.

Looks very good in the glass. Paler than usual dense orange juice body. Big and foamy bright white head leaves plenty of lacing.

Not much on the nose, a feather like non citrus touch.

On tasting, it's a little sharp, more bitter than the norm for the style, a decent grapefruit hit as well. Not soft and pillowy at all. Some warmth in the back of the throat.

Mouth closes in on full, finish warm and bitter.

Overall, does depart from the standards for the style, but this is no bad thing and it's a decent drink for an outstanding cause.

 

 

 

 

Standard pale yellow hazy profile. Agreeable finger of sticky/rocky white foam sitting atop that leaves wonderful sticky lacing down the glass.

Nose is standard hazy soft overripe fruits, though it doesn't delve fully into the fruit smoothie realm and retains some level of straw.

Similar impression as to the aroma: pretty standard hazy fare. Doesn't stand out in either direction, either positively nor negatively. There's clearly talent in the brewing and it's professionally executed, but if it weren't for the cause (and it's a cause that is incredibly near and dear to my heart for several reasons, this week especially), I think it would be utterly forgettable in a sea of competent hazies.

Aggressively spritzy carbonation, and the mouthfeel isn't quite as 'soft' as I understand the haze is supposed to present. The finish gets some of that green sicklysweet character that I get in a lot of the hazers.

Overall it's fine. I'm not that big on the substyle anyway, and this one does nothing to change my mind. It's unfortunate as I love the cause it purports to support, and Reuben's has some talented brewers. This one shows great professionality and competence, but ultimately just doesn't really do anything to move the needle for me (again, beyond the branding/cause).