SHIPA Eclipse
Kehrwieder Kreativbrauerei

 

Pours a slightly cloudy, deep amber coloration with a large, fluffy, lasting head. Smells of biscuity, caramel malt and citrus/tropical hops, with notes of tangerine and pineapple, as well as hints of floral and woody accents. Taste is a great balance of biscuity, caramel malt and fruity, slightly floral, woody and resinous hops, with strong citrus and lighter tropical notes of tangerine, lime peel and pineapple, as well as hints of pine resin and cedar wood. Finishes with a medium bitterness and some tangerine, pineapple and pine lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation.

I really love the SHIPA series and wish that I could get my hands on it more often, as it always offers a fascinating insight into different hop varieties. This time it's Eclipse, a variety that I had frankly never heard about and offers strong citrus and lighter tropical notes, as well as floral, resinous and and slightly woody accents. Those resinous and woody accents give a certain earthy quality to this that I quite like and makes up for that certain floral aspect that I'm not a huge fan of. Kinda reminds me of Amarillo, but more earthy and bitter.