Prodigal Son
4 Brothers Blended Beer Company

 

"Hint of sweetness" = bombardment of blatant honey flavored overly bready unpleasantness.

 

Picked this up in a clearance shopping cart...kind of dumbfounded really.

A: Just how a blend of an IPA and Cream Ale should look IMO. Same hue as cream soda, perfect Ipa head (2 fingers in a Summit snifter, lacing dissipates after about a minute or two)
S: There is not a whole lot in the smell, a bit of hops and some sort of very light sweetness..faint vanilla?
T: I love the taste of the blend! It has a perfect bitterness! Fruity-ish hops and something very familiar, maybe cascade hops? Followed by a very creamy chaser of faint bitter vanilla...(that's the best I could come up with)
M: Boom! Exactly what you would want in a blend like this. Bittery alpha acid in front and a creamy stickiness that coats the tongue after, and stays for a lot longer than I anticipated. This is what made me want to review this blended beer.
O: Its not a cream ale and its not an IPA, its a blended beer which I feel a lot more brewers should experiment with. Figuring I would be getting shafted on hops being its in a clearance cart and possibly old (never checked date on bottle) I am very pleasantly surprised! Props to the brewery for going the blended route! I am a homebrewer and love the idea! I will be going back tomorrow to clear out the cart. Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appearance: Pours with a dense creamy white head of about a finger which was present while drinking. The color is light orange. Active carbonation is fairly active, what you should expect.

Smell: Interesting combination of biscuit and floral hops on the front. More dough and bread are picked up on the body with a piney bitterness lingering underneath. There is a crisp malt aroma with some grassiness that is present throughout, similar to what you'd expect from a lager.

Taste: The front is floral hops with some medium bodied fruits. Buttery, creamy dough, and biscuit pick up on the body. Some lingering pine and grassiness dance on the palate throughout and into the finish.

Mouthfeel: There is a pleasant creaminess with a crisp dryness brought by the IPA. Interesting transitions. Carbonation is bright but plays well off the crisp notes.

Overall: My second brew from these guys and I'll certainly try more. I've been impressed how well the seemingly opposing beer come together in harmony. No doubt worth a shot if you are looking for something different.