Heart Of The Universe
Modern Times Beer

Collaboration with firestone walker. Can dated 4/08/20. Solid Hazy worth the pickup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at Goldstein's Mortuary and Delicatessen

A: Pours super hazy peachy golden amber with a frothy off white head that settles to a thin layer and leaves a little light lacing.

S: Clean bright tropical and orchard fruit, some citrus, a little spicy pine, biscuity malt, and caramel sweetness.

T: Juicy, super fruity, peach, apricot, mango, passion fruit, and gooseberry citrus, tangerine/orange, lime, and grapefruit, a little spicy pine, biscuity malt, and caramel sweetness.

M: Medium body, somewhat soft on the palate, but also some prickly carbonation.

O:

 

 

Straight pour from a 16oz can to a flared pilsner glass—AZ Wilderness’ Wilderpils glass. This has a canning date of August 10, 2018 printed in black ink near the bottom of the can (“08/10/2018 #001506”), making this beer … 26 days old at the time of consumption.

Appearance (2.5): This pours out a fairly subdued finger of crackly, ecru colored foam that dissipates faster than expected, leaving very little lacing in its wake. It caps a hazy, orange-tan body with straw highlights. Body is fine, but the head is, frankly, disappointing.

Smell (4.25): Clementine juice, candied orange peel, and kumquat mingle with subtle marijuana and sweet grass aromas. I really like that combination of kumquat and sweetgrass. The grain and malt bill comes across with notes of pancake batter, dry rolled oats, and crusty boule. It’s a really nice balance of hop notes and subtle, but nuanced malt.

Taste (4.25): Whoa, here the beer throws a slight curveball or two. It offers caramelized peach slices, a touch of pink grapefruit juice, orangeade, and a faint mineral note—but that baked peach/orangeade combination recalls triple sec a bit, minus the booze. The hops lead with a modest grapefruit/orangeade punch before sloshing into that peach character, but finally the hops close out the drink with a nice, classic and somewhat bitter note of grapefruit zest and a little bit of piney resin that lingers in the finish. Meanwhile, the malt/grain bill comes back around to that crusty boule and pancake batter, adding a little bit of baking soda biscuit and a very light touch of light caramel. Weirdly, it has a Sprite vibe going on from the middle of the palate through to the finish. No sign of booze whatsoever, which is appropriate for 7.5% ABV.

Mouthfeel (4.0): This beer feels medium-weight with a creamy, slightly syrupy texture, giving a filling impression that fits the caramelized peach notes on the palate. It rolls in with soft, foamy carbonation that tingles lightly as it dissipates rather than foaming up. The blend of hops and malt leave a soft but dry feel, a bit like you chased a big, hazy AF juice bomb with Sprite. That might sound weird and it might all sound underwhelming, but frankly it kind of works for me.

Overall (3.75): I’m a little torn on this beer. There are some things that don’t meet expectations, for the style or for either of these breweries’ known talents (seriously, what’s up with the appearance?) but it still works for me. Like, the feel is off in some ways, but it’s very satisfying to drink. The flavor and aroma throw out some interesting, somewhat unexpected notes, but again, I generally dig everything going on here. I wonder if this was absolutely bangin’ in the first week, and certain aspects dropped off quickly and at different rates. Either way, I’ve enjoyed it quite a bit. It’s good, but there are plenty of better options produced by both breweries (not to mention about a million others in CA).

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a very cloudy yellow color with a thin foamy head. Retention is non-existent and lacing is very mild (small pour). Awesome aroma. Fresh citrus juiciness with a good amount of piney resin. Taste is very fresh and hoppy. Juicy citrus and a good amount of piney resin. Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.