Dead Cat Bounce
Vault Brewing Company

 

Tropical DIPA with a slight piney overtone

 

New for me on draft. Definitely a favorite of mine. Anything over 6% ABV is always good for me. Wish I would have tried this sooner. The problem is that there are too many great beers to chose from.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slightly off-white creamy head, not too deep but good retention, very credible lacing. Liquid is a yellowish orange with a light filmy haze, more translucent than opaque. Grainy, hoppy nose with a softer orange creamsicle belly, sweet peach, apricot fruit scents, not that dank, has some weight in your nostrils, seems like any rough edges have been burred off. Full-bodied and finding it pretty dry, leaves a residue on the tongue. The fruit tries to get tropical but ends up sour to bitter, perhaps a result of the dry hopping or the age of the can or both. Carbonation is strong and there's a steady churn to it. Tangerine, lime citrus hinting at grapefruit. Herbaceous in a dry way rather than wet and leafy, hence again the dankness is minimal. Lasts well through the finish, however, it's a middle of the pack brew. (Canned 4/19/22)

 

 

16oz can purchased from the fridge as a single for $3.99. Canned on 3/29/21, so this is almost 4 1/2 months old.

Look: Pours out moderately hazy and thick with a translucent haze. For a double IPA, it has a slight paleness to it. It's like a deep golden yellow bordering on orange color. Has a fluffy white head that slowly reduced and is leaving behind a very thin layer and nice lacing along the edges.

Smell: Nice combination of citrus and tropical notes (grapefruit, tangerine, papaya, melon) and floral, perfumy notes. There's also a big green bell pepper note on the finish.

Taste: Yummy. This totally does not taste like it's 8% ABV, which can be a good or a bad thing. Lots of citrus - grapefruit, tangerine - up front. There is a mild tanginess and the mouthfeel is very soft. I definitely get an interesting orange marmalade note along with some grapefruit pith and pine on the finish. The mild bitterness on the finish is tempered with the overall juiciness and sweetness of the beer. It's a very drinkable beer, which I certainly do not take for granted with a double IPA.

Feel: Has a nice, soft mouthfeel and it's also easy to drink. Nicely carbonated.

Overall: I've had a few other Vault beers but it has been a while.

From website:
DEAD CAT BOUNCE • a double new england ipa hopped with citra and idaho gem. exhibits luscious and sweet notes of juicy papaya and orange marmalade with a vivid and crisp piney finish.

 

After poured from a pint can into a clear glass Imperial pint mug, it can now be determined that the color is a murky strawberry blond. It is topped off with a white head so dense and frothy, it rose about a half inch above the glass rim, yet stayed intact. The by now familiar smell of starchy hops is now evident, but not overwhelming. A receding head is now leaving some lacing, but it compares not to the enduring head. The taste is sweet and annoyingly juicy. This style of NEIPAs consistently mute the hop contribution with an overkill of wheat and oates to a fault. The finish is clean enough, but there's no bite. Even the finish, where hops often get to shine, is more sweet than bitter.

A - Opaque dark golden tan color that resembles a glass full of river water with dense white lacing.

S - Bright juicy citrus and fruit on the nose. Grapefruit, pineapple, and slightly herbal.

T - Grapefruit, pineapple, citrus fruit, citrus rind, slight spicy herbal, and peach. Finishes on the sweeter side with light citrus bitterness surfacing on the back end after the sip.

M - Chewy and soft with a wet finish (the very back side of the tongue however, is dry). Coats the mouth with a heavy layer of hops that create a cotton-like sensation in the mouth.

O - A solid D-IPA right here, worth a try.