Pancho IPA
Brazos Valley Brewing Company

RB transfer

smeared date under the can. oh well.

pours a hazy orange gold body with a cream colored frothy big-bubbled head that peaks at two fingers and holds with moderate retention before settles down to a murky cap with super rocky halo, leaving behind copious amounts of sudsy sticky lacing as it goes.

aroma is an intense yet floral, crisp, peppery, earthy, and citrus fruity flash. green apple in there along with lime and caramel and an interesting herbal spice that I'm having trouble narrowing down.

taste plays with all of the aroma offerings and smooths it over with a peppery caramel covered green apple leader, a slight melon note flowing thru. there's also a funky green herbal spice medley going on that kicks off in the wings and really makes this thing stand out, even more than it's leading notes.

mouthfeel is medium-light body and mid-level carbonation, running on the crisp and semi-watery side throughout before finishing crisp and dry and leaving a peppery green apple sweet tang aftertaste behind that coats the cheeks and tongue.

overall:
this brew manages an insane amount of variety and newness while making it look smooth, easy, and balanced. I am completely blown away by the sheer novelty of it, and honestly can't name a single reference to compare it to. that alone is a testament, and as a hop lover, I was thrilled to try a new combo like this. they've taken the criminally under-used equinox hop ;) and the criminally underrated bravo to knock something new into the rafters. this brewery really ought to be getting more attention, though, honestly, maybe that's what's working so much in their favor right now. all that aside, if a friend asks for something "new" and fresh to try, I'm pointing them here until the well dries up

Pours a clear, golden copper in color with a fair amount of head and some lacing as you drink. Smells of spicy, herbal and floral hops, with a sweet, biscuity malt background. Taste follows the nose quite well. Toasty, biscuity malts up front, followed by spicy, herbal hops with a touch of citrus. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with ample carbonation and a little oiliness. Drinkability is pretty solid. Got this in a mixed six pack of Lefty/Pancho. I preferred the Pancho, but this is a solid beer in it's own right. A bit too spicy for my taste, though. Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i am surprised these beers arent getting more attention, i thought all of the stuff i had from brazos valley was awesome, such good hoppy beers in my limited experience. this one is excellent as well, really dry hoppy and bright and juicy, all equinox hops from what i understand (i refuse to call it by its new name), and its a great showcase of them, with an almost candied lemony essence in the nose and a more distinctly green and vegetal freshness in the taste, bitter only a little bit, and with a sort of saaz type grassy limey thing followed by honeydew melon, pineapple, and lemongrass, summery for sure even though the beer overall really isnt all that light, the flavors are just so warm weather, its delicious! the malt structure is there, but the flavor is light, which lets the hops really shine, i wonder why we dont see more equinox in this context, it seems versatile, unique, and rather complex as they go. very enjoyable can of beer, recognizable too, and one i would definitely buy again if it were available to me here in colorado. still not quite at the level of their lefty, which totally blew my mind, but an awesome ipa that deserves some attention!

 

 

On-draught at the Brew and Brew in Austin.

High C+ / ABOVE AVERAGE

***
CAN from a local H-E-B for $1.79:

Vaguely tropical hop profile. Basic pale malt backbone. Pretty underwhelming fare with a shrug of a hop profile.

Coating medium-bodied mouthfeel. Not unrefreshing. Smooth. Wet.

Drinkable and forgettable. Very average for an IPA.

C / AVERAGE