Deep Focus
Greenpoint Beer & Ale Company

Picked this up a while ago at Greenpoint and finally got around to it on this snowy night. The can label was interesting, as it reminded me of those pictures where you have to stare at it and nearly through it cross-eyed to see the 3D image spring forth. That never happened after repeated attempts with this but it was a metaphor for this beer, as it took a lot of introspection and patience for it's profile to finally come forward!

Not a bad pour to this as the liquid was amber, waxy, and filled with just a bit of sediment. Plenty of head topped this off and the lacing on the side of my pint glass as I worked my way through this was quite impressive. An extensive web covered the side of it though no rings in particular were discernible. Plenty of hop funk, dank apricot, booze, and stone fruit could be found in the nose with all of those coming out more profusely in the taste. Full of resin, this felt like it had hops from the left coast without the metallic, burning, oily hallmark that they'd normally have. Instead, there were signs of Idaho 7-like tropical fruits, malts reminiscent of bread, and dankness from Mosaic, Motueka, or Galaxy-type hops. Plenty of slickness and tropical fruit notes kept this lively, though this needed some time to savor and fully enjoy as some dry, chalky cheese emerged in the aftertaste once the liquid faded away.

There was enough booze in this to be strong but it never felt that way in any sense of the word. Without a doubt, this was the most complex of the brews that I had from this brewery thus far but one of it's most enjoyable at the same time. Grassy, earthy, hoppy, and a bit experimental at the same time, this was a winner that clearly deserved to have a bigger following, and a second canning. For those of us in the know, we appreciate brews like this that have put Greenpoint on the proverbial map. A solid brew that clearly deserves a wider audience!

Can received in trade with rejtable