Dolcita IPA
Buoy Beer Company

A pleasant, if somewhat unexpected/unusual IPA. The flavors are NOT in the typical hop direction...and in fact are a bit unique in their smooth mildly fruity direction. I've never had an IPA with this flavor profile, but that's' not a bad thing. It's a nice break from the same ol' west coast IPA scenario (tho' west coast IPA's' are also appreciated by my palate). I've not experienced Dolcita hop before....they have proved their worth (to me) with this brew.

Look: Dull to dark orange as it flows from the can and turbid in the glass once it settles, topped by a velvety-looking head

Aroma: Peach, apricot, Sumo mandarin, Cara cara orange, wafts of pineapple, and sweet, bready malt

Taste: Opens up, as expected since I was waiting for it, with a boatload of peach bringing everything from ripe flesh, juice, and a taste version of the wafting aroma from overripe peaches. This is soon joined by waves of pineapple and sweet and ripe orange that interplay well with the peach and develop depth, all atop a nice malt base. Closes with more peach and a subtle bite

Mouthfeel: Full, clean, pretty smooth, well carbonated, and somewhat soft on the finish

Overall: I dig it. I’ve always has a tenuous relationship with Dolcita hops during their long experimental phase as HBC1019, but have enjoyed beers that use it sparingly as it is a peach-bomb of a hop and tends to easily overpower more subtle varieties of notes. This beer fits that niche, even without being a single-hopped one, and it’s good with plenty of peach/orange/pineapple goodness throughout. Worth a buy or try, especially if you’re a peach and/or HBC1019 fan

Poured from 12oz can into a dimpled mug. Canned 10/8/25.

Appearance: medium orange hue with a light-to-moderate haze and a thick finger of frothy ivory foam atop.

Smell: kind of a dank aroma with some grapefruit and tropical notes. Not juicy, really; it’s more of an earthy fruitiness. Interesting, but not bad.

Taste: malt’s a little sweet and toasty, with an earthy hop flavor that is kind of like grapefruit peel but it’s neither particularly juicy nor bitter-pithy. It’s good; kinda rich with a different angle on a well-known hop flavor. Bitterness is high but not unbalanced. This one is really growing on me.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent carbonation and creaminess.

Overall: I’m really liking this beer. I’m not always a huge fan of WCIPA, but when it’s well done like this, it can be a very tasty thing. Part of what I like here is the novelty — the grapefruit peel flavors just seem to come out in a different way here than in a lot of other beers. Good stuff!

Pours a translucent golden color with a medium head and a fruity aroma. Very good and refreshing IPA. Very fruity taste and mouthfeel and easy drinking. Doesn't taste like a 60 IBU beer. BOD 10-8-2025