Mr. Oysterhead
Trickster's Brewing Company

another real good hoppy beer from these guys up north, definitely english to me on the grain side, but still an american ipa due to the yeast, and i guess the hop varietals too, but somewhat of a crossover, nothing in the ferment really at all so not english to me, but certainly with a bready and richer english malt profile backing up all the hops, pretty sturdy bitterness here too, but everything is super fresh and this is objectively pretty high quality, their hoppy stuff is what makes them stand out for sure. some obvious pine in the nose, fresh cooked waffles underneath, an almost cooked batter thing, light sweetness, a hint of honey, toffee even, but more than balanced by all these hops, pineapple comes out in the middle, more bitter citrus pith later on. the flavor is great, i love the slightly nutty malt profile, which is not always the case, but it works so well with these hops, a hint of ripe melon in the mix, some sticky resinous texture too which seems to extend the bitterness, but its not green or forced either. the freshness rules, the layers of flavor are interwoven well, and there is a clean and fun back and forth between the malt and the hops. nicely made beer, i look forward to new stuff from these guys now, perhaps some of the better hoppy types being made in the state...