Go With the Flow
Other Half Brewing - Center Street

 

 

Excellent balance in this DDH NEIPA. At sub 7% this is really good. Pouring from 16oz can reveals a heavy foam that translates into very nice lacing. Scents are lemony citrus with hints of various other fruits including peach and mango. Proceedings wander into citrus, mango, kiwi, peach, and tangerine hop flavors encompassed by a lightly sweet oat base. Nonetheless, I wouldn't describe this beer as sweet. The strong Simcoe presence composes things and allows Citra and Motueka to do their thing. There is a resinous palate coating nature. This is how I like NEIPA brewed. Very good. This is how it should be done

 

MAY 2024. American pint can from a mid-February batch (€7/€8 from the beershop fridge).
As soon as it is torn, it immediately has an intense aroma of citrus fruits and a bouquet of tropical fruit (lychee). When poured, these aromas flare up, while in the glass it seems as if fruit juice has been poured: a completely nebulous and impenetrable yellow colour, tending towards orange (classic "hazy").
Virtually non-existent foam.
In the mouth, a medium-bodied beer with Sardinian carbonation, with a very intense flavor of citrus fruits (grapefruit, ripe orange) with fruity nuances ranging from white peach, ripe plum (plum), to tropical (mango, litchi, pineapple). The taste is truly invasive and inebriating.
The drink is full and flows on a well-structured body to support this burst of taste.
There is (clearly) a slight sensation of silkiness on the tongue, which leaves ample space for fruity hints without however leaving room for any noteworthy bitter note on the tongue.
Only the fruitiness remains in the mouth, for a long time after drinking.
The product is sensational for its intensity of taste and importance of the drink it offers... I certainly don't think of drinking just any (hazy?) IPA... You can feel that it is a super product, certainly modern in style, but a great product.
Very fruity, not very bitter but still an extremely intense and attention-grabbing taste.

Poured from the can into a Spiegelau IPA glass. Canned February 15th 2024.

Turbid yellow, hinting a little towards custard but very light in color. Lemon bright with some noticeable fast rising carbonation rising to a real creamy four finger topped bright white head.

Big hop aroma, mostly touching dank earthy tones, with a nice sweetness for balance. Little touch of dill and brine hinting as well in the background which is quite pleasant.

Palate is pretty solid. Simple malt backbone giving just a little touch of sweetness. Juicy earthy touches of leafy and dank herb flavors, hits a little chalky, but also with a controlled amount of sugars. The diversity from the nose is missing a little which is a slight let down. However, the base flavors provide a solid drinking experience.

Overall comes out a bit basic, but solid. And for that reason I certainly cant complain much.

 

 

 

 

 

Look: Murky light orange in color with a modest white head.
Smell: Wheat grass and lemon, somewhat sweet.
Taste: Earthy and full of malt. Some moderate hop presence, honeydew and lavender.
Feel: Light and effervescent, somewhat creamy.
Overall: A nice light IPA.

Pretty green - copper swirly can. 11-02-20 canning date. Pretty fresh.
Milky lemon pudding look and color sporting a low and clingy white head.
The aroma is sugary sweet blended citrus with a whiff of alcohol. Pretty standard stuff these days,
The flavor is sweetened orange juice with a solid, puckery grapefruit kicker.
No I'm not going to call it "dank" or "juicy", words more appropriate describing well grown cannabis or a properly cooked burger.
This is only vaguely beer -like until mid way when the healthy hop bite showed up and helped remind me this wasn't just some fruit flavored malt beverage of some sort.
The body is thin after the initial sugar rush. No grain or malt character or texture, just a fluffy mouth feel and dry, over boiled pellet hop finish.
A bit more aggressive and balanced with a respectable level of hop bitterness so not "soft" as so many are but still, not a new or unique take on a NEIPA and in my experience these guys can do better.