E09 Call Me Dragon
603 Brewery

 

On tap at McGillicuddy's

 

Many thanks to SawDog505 for this can.

A - Very hazy Medium gold color with thin, yet dense white lacing.

S - Citrus aroma with some bready malt.

T - Tropical fruit with some light spiciness from start to finish and finishes spicy fruity and more on the balanced side.

M - Full bodied and soft on the palate but very dry on the finish.

O - This beer is better than the current 3.71 score.

 

From the 16 oz. can with no date that I can see. Sampled on May 23, 2018.

Hazy, golden-yellow pour under a quick lasting foamy white head that leaves lacing.

Nice aroma of tropical fruit such as mango as well as some citrus notes and a mellow white bread character. No booze at 8.2%.

Soft medium or better body.

The taste is actually less harsh and overly hopped as some New England IPAs can be. I still get the introductory white bread but then the juicy mango and hoppiness kicks in to finish it off. Yet the finish is not harsh in the least.

16 oz. Can poured into a Duvel tulip glass.

A muddy and opaque style liquid but also very bright with an orange to golden color, white-out style highlights. The all white foamy cap does not reach great hights, it lies a bit low with only minimal coverage. The NEdipa style usually has a monsterous foam head that slightly dissipates and leaves huge lacing. A small amount of lacing is left in the liquids wake.

The hoppy based nose gives off mostly tangy and sweet citrus notes. Kiwi, black pepper and pineapple also pops out of the hops. A light, creamy style malty aroma is light overall but still effective.

First off, let me comment on the mouthfeel, since that's what I noticed first after the first gulp... Surprisingly full, chunky, smooth and thick. It actually feels really good, except you notice a serious lack of carbonation. A little crispy bite, dry then juicy but crazy thick. A malty slickness happens, so you can look at this two ways: one...just sit back and an enjoy the silky smoothness or be negatively affected by it's lack of crispness. Feels like it's been in a cask for months !

Sooo...onto the flavor: mostly juicy citrus from the big hops. Malt that feels and tastes like there is a heavy amount of oats and wheat is impressive. Eventhough the carbonation is low, and the feel is a bit too heavy, the malt still comes across as light and golden, with flavors you find in goldens and pilsners. A low level of bitterness with high levels of tangy fruits and dry-earth tones that I dig. Slightly boozy heat is a bit on the high side, a lack of complexity in hoppy flavor allows the heat to be much more noticeable.

Listen, I'm from NH, which is obviously New England so we are spoiled by a huge amount of seriously quality NE style ipa's...mostly from neighboring states like Vermont and Massachusetts. New Hampshire needs to step up it's game slightly when it comes to quality. My home is the 603, andbI can honestly say, this is about what I would expect from 603.

 

 

 

Poured into a 12 Snulip glass canned on May 8th. Pours a very attractive hazy yellow with a half finger head that leaves little traces of lace.

Smell is ripe cantaloupe, mango, apricot, and hints of grapefruit rind.

Taste follows mellon, mango, papaya, mandarin orange, and grapefruit.

Mouthfeel is a big medium, moderate soft carbonation, not dry, but a tad sticky from all the fresh hops, and at 8.2% ABV very drinkable.

Overall this is really nice, but this may be a time I feel another few days in the can may add to the carbonation and make it even better.