Tumbleweed
Illumination Brewing / Funk Brewing

A light summary ale, crisp. A bit lacking in flavor, would be the criticism.

I am getting ready to start preparing to shove off for work, meaning that this will be my last for the day, but at least it is in furtherance of The CANQuest (tm).

From the CAN: "Tumbleweed Pale Ale"; "An aromatic dank and juicy east coast pale ale exhibiting pungent pine, citrus, and a hint of earthy spice balanced by a slight malty character. Enjoy it and more of our creations straight from the source at our taproom. 19 6th St. Emmaus, PA."; "Do Not Age [-] Drink Fresh".

I Crack!ed open the vent & was met with a CANundrum. What CANstitutes an "east coast pale ale"? Is it a hazy APA ala an NEIPA? Hmm. I beCAN with a slow, gentle C-Line Glug, but about halfway into it, I was seeing a haze begin to appear. At that point, I sped things along since I gotta go to work. I got two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, eggshell-white head for my trouble, evincing decent retention. Color was a deeply-hazy/lightly-cloudy Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, < 7). Nose was definitely earthy, like something fresh out of my neighbor's garden. Fresh bell peppers? Hmm. Mmm! Mouthfeel was medium. The taste had an earthy, spicy bitterness and while I was not put in mind of either pine or citrus, it had a pronounced earthy, peppery quality. Mmm. I did not find it particularly malty either. That bit may be a tad misleading. I was not misled by CANy of it, though. I found it to be very evocative of late-Summer/early-Fall & I would happily revisit it at that time. Finish was semi-dry & highly satiating. Good thing, since I need to get ready for work. That's all, folks! YMMV.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Compares well with beers from Carton (my hometown brewer) or Oskar Blues. Very special, fresh, big pine & citrus, and flowery.
a) Hazed opaque pale apricot color, bright white, dense, sticky lacing head.
s) Big bright tropical and citrus abounds in the nose. Grinds of rinds of grapefruit, oranges, and then some pine. Very fruity.
t) Begins big. Citrus rind, marmalade then sliding into peppery, spicy, lingering pine drying finish.
f) Medium body, low carbonation, and a pleasing dry finish.
o) Great local example.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DATE: August 6, 2017... OCCASION: a beautiful day, about to get ruined by Game of Thrones drama... GLASSWARE: Barley Creek Pint...pours a murky, thick, orange amber body that nonetheless has detectable effervescence when scrutinized... the head piles two fingers' worth of soapy, craggy white head that creates bubbly arcs of arcing... head holds steady for a resilient lapse of time... grapefruit, a spicy pepper, orange peel, sweet caramel and bread dough that balances ts expectation... pine hops pique the nostrils as well... a mellow draw, active and accommodating at its start... smooth, lively, with the strength of orange, pine, grapefruit, and a balanced caramel--a complexity that packs quite a pop for a pale ale... purchased as part of a surprise mix twelve, this one was worth waiting for--a clean, delicious, engaging beer that's bigger than its body but not overstating any of its main elements.... I will seek other Funk beers, based on this one, for sure...

 

Poured into a 13 oz long stem Funk Brewing tulip glass, canned on 6/15/17. Pours a hazy yellow orange with a 2 finger sticky white head that leaves spotty lace all over the glass.

Smell is guava, papaya, tangerine, pineapple, and grapefruit rind.

Taste follows tropical upfront, juicy as heck, with a little bitter grapefruit in the finish excellent.

Mouthfeel is about medium, moderate life, a tad sticky, but not dry and excellent drinkabiity and I could crush these all day.

Overall this is excellent, one of the best 5.5% ABV beers I have ever had. Thanks @jzeilinger for this juicy treat!