Hülly Lewis
Cellarmaker Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Growler filled today.

Pouring white in my white paper cup, this beer is capped with a dense, white head with good retention and lacing. Or maybe it's golden orange with a dense off white head - how would I know. What I do know is that this beer smells great. A bright fruitiness, melony as advertised with some grape , there's a mild honeydew melon, honey, a mild citrus note, and a malt character that's a blend of honey and light cotton candy. Refreshing.

The palate opens with a bright fruitiness but this hop varietal does belie its continental roots by way of its minty and earthy notes. The mildly woody resin character is another giveaway. Working nicely with the hop character is the honey like malt character. Light in body and moderately carbonated, this beer finishes long and mildly bitter with a lingering fruitiness. Nice stuff, though arguably overpriced at $9/750ml growler fill.

 

 

Tried on tap at the brewpub and from a growler. Pours a pale yellowy gold orange color. Medium white head. The liquid is a bit hazy. Some nice lacing and good retention. The aroma is relatively subtle. Honeydew melon is definitely there, but it's not a strong odor, which makes it seem natural, rather than the artificial melon in air fresheners and whatnot. Some peach, raspberry, blueberry, mild tangerine, mild mango. A little bit more of the simple malt sweetness comes out than in most CM hoppy beers - just doesn't quite have the normal hop juiciness to cover it up. More melon in the taste with some mild pineapple and grapefruit. There's a berry bitterness, like raspberry seeds or something - that sounds silly. Some honey-ish malt sweetness but the beer finishes dry enough. Mild bitterness. Sort of a grassy, bitter melon finish. Mouthfeel is light with normal carbonation. No booze. Easy to drink. Interesting stuff. The melon is kinda odd. It's almost a vegetal-leaning melon flavor, like the flesh near the skin of a melon. I appreciate being able to try a new and different hop varietal, but this one probably won't grab people.