Double Nü Disco Jumpsuit
Burlington Beer Co.

 

 

I have a touchy history with Burlington Beer Co.'s packaged beers, which, in my opinion, tend to be very inconsistent and batchy despite most of their on-site offerings being rather great. I've had some good stuff in cans, for sure, but the things with a lot of adjuncts tend to be a bit underwhelming, and I've even talked to friends who are big fanboys of this brewery also (somewhat secretly) admit to being let down by, for instance, their latest raspberry chocolate cookie 10% milk stout or whatever. I will fully admit that I'm basically expecting to be unimpressed here, but I'll go in objectively and hope for the best.

DNDJ pours a turbid, deep orange color with absolutely no light penetration. A decent head of eggshell-white foam sits unmoved atop the thick depths of this beer... not much buildup or fanfare, but it definitely does look like a smoothie or milkshake, so I'm pretty much going to say it's successful at what it attempts. I mean, it's pretty obviously "ugly," but for what it is, it's good enough.

The nose really gets me reconsidering my preconceived notions, however. What the hell, this smells awesome! Super pulpy citrus and a lot of creamy vanilla combined with slight notes of passion fruit and mango. Even a touch of grassiness and herbal touches (okay, and cannabis) here and there. There is a lot going on, and I'm super excited to get into the actual flavor profile because milkshake IPAs tend to disappoint me right off the bat with incongruous first impressions. Hoping this one keeps the momentum going!

Yup, it does! Hoooo boy, am I eating my prior words (and my bias) now! This is fan-freaking-tastic. It's literally a creamsicle in beer form. Right upfront is a huge hit of semi-tart orange/tangerine flavor, very authentic and well-defined, with a mid-palate of creaminess and wheat-laden grain. The lactose and vanilla really assist this one into place, helping move the beer into the finish, which is firing on all cylinders with a surprising amount of structural bitterness and extremely fun notes of grapefruit, mango, and papaya alongside the actual orange addition. A touch of herbal and grassy hops in the post-finish, which is appreciated. Almost zero alcohol presence here, as well, but I can tell it's pushing some complex flavors around. Well, here it is. The best milkshake IPA I've had yet, and definitely the new gold standard. Maybe I should trust these guys just a little more (kidding, definitely buy their beer and visit their enjoyable taproom, it's extremely affordable and accomodating).