10 Minute Vacation
The Unknown Brewing Co.

 

This is an oddball beer; it's a lager brewed with muscadine grapes and dry-hopped with Mosaic and Equinox. The clear, effervescent straw-colored body is topped by a medium, pebbly off-white head; head retention is brief and lacing consists of sparse swoops and spots. The nose is medium in intensity: it is a delicious blend of pineapple, white wine, and more subtle tamarind and perfume, with a nicely contrasting noble topnote; slight alcohol overtones ride above everything else. On the palate, the complex hop aromas come through nicely, along with a cardamom-like spicy character, but are not too assertive, as they allow the noble hops and lagery malt notes (which are themselves nicely balanced) to show through. Perceived bitterness is modest and style-appropriate. All told, the combined flavor intensity is appropriate for a lager, and would not be expected to produce a wrecked palate during an extended session. The finish is quite clean, showing just a bit of spice, and is suitably crisp and a bit astringent; it is followed by a mild, lasting echo of the flavor, backstopped by a mild noble bitterness. Retrogustative olfaction is fruity and candy-like. Mouthfeel is slightly astringent and commensurate with the light body; the texture is slightly creamy and moderately peppery from the well-expressed carbonation. This beer could give a clinic on how to use IPA-centric hops in a lager. (growler, 66 days kegging)