Alpaca Fracas!
Nepenthe Brewing Co.

Typical modern American IPA pour into a clear glass liter mug shows the same redundant result. Inside the clear glass liter mug sits a brew with a foamy and stark white character. Also typically, it's hazy apricot-amber amber in color. The foam reduces irregularly and unattractively. There's that now too familiar muddled blend of starches and some hops from the nose, but nothing distinctive. It doesn't taste badly, but initially it's not a great taste, neither. Thankfully, the taste is more hoppy than starchy. Therein, the salvation for this one. It may look like an ordinary modern NEIPA, but it tastes better than that. The starchiness fails to stop the nicely piney and resinous hop bite from coming through. It still maintains a body that is obviously softened by oats. But here, they don't diminish the hop bite. If you've practically given up on modern hazy IPAs because they’ve lost their hoppy bite, this is a must try. The mouthfeel is soft, the body is OK, although its backing flavor can't stand up to the hop delivery. This may lookand smell soft, but the dose of piney and resinous hops is real. It's nice to find a good hoppy beer, regardless of how it looks.

 

 

A bright bubbly clear looking amber with a healthy head, looks pulled fresh off a movie set
Smell is strong, dank, piney.
Very Citrus-forward, notes of grapefruit, orange peel,
Light-bodied but not weak, goes down smooth. Finishes very cleanly with slight grapefruit after taste.

Heavy and beautiful citrus, pineapple notes rising up, finish is smooth, hides the 8.1 ABV well. If you like Manor Hill crooked beak, you will love this one, another huge winner from a great Baltimore brewery.

Growler into pint glass. Pours a hazy gold with a huge, blocky, long-lasting, blindingly white head. Great lacing. Initial impression is super-juicy grapefruit rind, grape, pine, and candied orange with a touch of caramel. Mouthfeel is thick and juicy; carbonation is perfect. Finish is a bit astringent, fading to a mild bitterness. This falls somewhere between a NEIPA and a West Coast, but leaning toward the former.