Calling Captain Hop
Griffin Claw Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, 2016 vintage bottling. Pours slightly hazy/cloudy golden amber color with a 1-2 finger dense and fluffy off white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of big peach, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, melon, tangerine, lemon/orange zest, light pine, honey, toasted bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of juicy citrus/tropical hops and moderate bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big peach, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, melon, tangerine, lemon/orange zest, light pine, honey, toasted bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate pine/herbal/citrus peel bitterness; with lingering notes of peach, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, melon, tangerine, lemon/orange zest, pine, honey, toasted bread, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity, robustness, and balance of juicy citrus/tropical hops and moderate bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and zero astringent hop flavors after the finish. Light-moderate dryness from bitterness, that lightly increases though the glass. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth and moderately creamy/bready/sticky balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is an excellent IPA. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of juicy citrus/tropical hops and moderate bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink. A very enjoyable offering.

 

Single hop galaxy variant. Bomber to snifter. Look is lighting orange, slight haze. Smell is very unique. It is citrus hops, but also a grassiness and some herbal spice. Actually reminds me is Sorachi Ace. Taste is a bitter hop punch that grabs at the sides of my tongue (in a good way). Flavor wise I get piney and more of that spicy pepper element. I know I've had galaxy beers before, but maybe not single hop. Not a lot of malt, so it drinks like a pale. The light malt also leaves a nice boozy burn despite the 7% ABV. Overall a solid offering and worth the purchase, but my personal hop taste goes more to mosaic and Citra