Diamond Drive
Modern Times Beer

RB transfer

A: hazy; medium gold in color; a 1 finger finely pored ivory head that receded to a skim cap; nice rings of lace;

S: ripe pineapple;

T: lemon and pineapple for a moment, then tangerine and pineapple through the finish; mild bitterness at the end;

M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation; lightly dry finish; soft;

O: good, but not memorable;

 

Pours a light yellow gold with some head. Smells like hoppy, herbal, and fruity. Tastes pretty complex: tastes like pineapple, coconut, peach perhaps, a lot of stuff going on here and an underlying dank, earthy flavor. It also has an abundance of bitterness, to boot. A lot of these hazies blend together for me but this is well done and tasty and another good offering from MT, cheers!

Can pour- murky and turbid apricot colored juice with foamy white head leaving significant frosty lacing. Nose is big and tropical. Taste follows with a bit of pine and some lingering acidity on the finish. ABV well hidden.

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: New England Double / Imperial IPA
Glass: Firestone 16-oz. Spiegelau IPA glass
Price: $3.25
From: La Mesa Wine & Spirits in La Mesa, Calif.
Purchased: Dec. 22, 2020
Consumed: Dec. 22, 2020
Misc.: Canned on Nov. 17, 2020

First time seeing this in stores or really even hearing of it. Back of the can read “This utterly enchanting juice-vortex is the progeny of mountainous quantities of Mosaic, Idaho-7, Sabro, and Centennial hops. Their powers combined yield a staggeringly tasty beverage with hazy depths that explode with tropical fruit, blueberry, and citrus, underscored by a subtle, lovely coconut character from the Sabro hops. It’s a majestically complex and incredibly crushable DIPA that we think you’re seriously going to dig.” That’s a lovely hop combo, mainly because of Mosaic and Sabro. Still a little apprehensive going in about this because a lot of the Modern Times beers I’ve had recently have been off (new ones and regular).

Poured a medium yellow-to-light gold hazy color with six fingers of white rocky head. Plenty of bubble streams coming up the sides of the glass. Almost perfect foamy lacing. Perfect retention. (Sight - 4.75)

Smelled Mosaic mostly, followed by Idaho 7 and Sabro. Specifically bubblegum, floral, cedar, mixed berry, herbal, pine, coconut and hints of lime. A little better out of the can. (Smell - 4.00)

Tasted about as good as the nose. For mentioned hops, Sabro and Mosaic up front, followed by Idaho 7 and Centennial in the back. Also coconut, cedar, bubblegum, mixed berry, herbal, pine, floral, lime and lingering peppery spice. (Taste - 4.00)

Medium body. Creamy texture. Lively carbonation. Long, juicy finish. (Feel - 4.00)

Was hoping for more with the Sabro, but at least I didn’t get the recent Modern Times yeast problem. Outstanding overall. (Overall - 4.00)

4.05 | 91 | A-

 

First, I must get on my soapbox about Sabro. When used liberally, Sabro IPAs can be quite awful IMO, the coconut notes overwhelm and steal what might be an otherwise great show. However, when Sabro is used correctly and complimentary as is done here with Diamond Drive, you get an amazing brew! Lovely pour, nice vibrant lasting head, great lacing, with inviting aroma. The balance of tropical flavors and dank resin is great, with that perfect creaminess that is just not nailed enough by hazy makers. Modern Times has another top tier offering here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a really great example of a hazy double IPA that simultaneously delivers what a dipa is supposed to do while also standing out in its complexity. It looks like a rich hazy IPA with a sizeable (albeit not foamy) head and it has a fresh smell. The taste has coconut notes with a citrus finish. Most importantly, the hops in this beer serve a purpose. Many dipas are hoppy for the sake of being hoppy, whereas the diamond drive's hops exist to propel the beer's fruitiness into the back of the mouth. Modern Times has done it again.

 

 

Slightly hazy amber brew with modest foam in the Triple Karmeliet tulip. Mouthfeel is slippery with all the wheat. Aromas of something fruity. Weirdly sweet, like Mexican sugar candy. Citrus and marmalade flavors.

They call this "hazy and tropical" but it is less gunky than the typical New England style. Still it's quite acidic and leaves a peculiar astringency in the aftertaste. From the 16 oz can purchased at Bine & Vine. Dated 11/19/20 plus a political message on the bottom.