In Your Face
CREW Republic

Copenhagen 5/7 2018. 33 cl bottle from Fakta, Kbh NV. A very strongly pink label with so many fonts on it, it makes my head spin. They seem to be pretty preoccupied with the fact that the beer is "handcrafted". And they manage to pass on the information that the Deutchen Rheiheitsgebot has been observed (sigh).

Pours almost clear pale yellow with a medium-sized white head. Settles as a thin, patchy layer of foam crawling up the side of the glass.

Aroma is not very intense and a little stale. Sweet exotic fruit like mango, peach and Honey melon. Stronger citric notes of grapefruit.

Medium strong carbonation. Slightly thick soft texture. A little prickly liveliness.

Flavor is lightly sweet followed by strong bitterness. Aftertaste is bitter. Lingering. Finish is bone dry.

The taste way is better than the smell. Just like my socks.

 

Bottle. Clear straw. Piss thin looking. Frothy head.
Hoppy aroma. Tropical fruit and hay meadow.
The flavour is a muted version of the it's smell. Bitter.
Soft carbonation. Light body.
A reasonable German representation of a WC IPA.

 

 

L:
-pours a clear golden with a medium to big,foamy,white head
-medium carbonation visible
S:
-honey,melon,mango,grapefruit,orange
T:
-follows the nose
-low to medium bitterniss for the style
F:
-medium carbonation
-light to medium body
O:
It's missing the pine/resin character of the old school WC IPAs, but it's a damn fine, fruity IPA.

 

 

330ml bottle, poured into La Chouffe tulip.

A: Hazy amber, small head which made a quick getaway.

S: Lime and Cascade hop.

T: Lime and grapefruit, high bitterness.

M: Medium body, the hoppy bitterness gave it a coarse edge.

O: A German take on a West Coast IPA, this was dry and bitter, rather than fruity and juicy.

Pours a clear, golden coloration with a medium, frothy head. Smells of biscuity, slightly grainy and caramelly malt and citrus hops, with a certain grapefruit aroma. Taste is a good balance of grainy, biscuity, caramel malt and bitter, slightly floral/grassy hops with citrus accents and grapefruit standing out particularly. Finishes with a medium bitterness and some grapefruit lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation.

Perhaps not the best interpretation of a West Coast IPA, the malts seeming a bit grainy and the hops being perhaps just a tad too floral/grassy and not quite resinous enough, really lacking any distinct piney notes. It does make up for that with a good bitterness and a decent citrus character though, with a certain grapefruit presence as well as a good overall balance. I'm not sure if it's nostalgia or has something to do with the ABInBev takeover a while ago, but this isn't quite what I remembered it to be. While it was never great, especially for the self-proclaimed style, it was one of the first IPAs that got me into craft and I just remember it having a lot more distinct grapefruit character and less grainy malt.

 

Poured out a cloudy orange color with a one-finger, white head of foam. It smelled of orange peel, floral notes and toasted caramel. Sweet caramel and a very bitter hop presence.

 

 

Hazy peach color with off-white head. Aroma has some herbal hops, apricots and slightly grainy malt in the background. Taste follows with the herbal, grassy hop flavors, a light tea note, medium grapefruit rind bitterness on the finish. Medium body and carbonation. Pretty straightforward​ IPA.