Juice Box Tangerine IPA
450 North Brewing Company

 

 

 

piney, not juicy. muddled.

 

My reviews for 450 North beers all sound the same. Interesting coloring, fantastic head and texture, but extremely un-noteworthy and muddled flavor profile. This one starts off with a light iced tea (?!) body and a massive, fluffy white head of big bubbles that held up well and laced sporadically down the glass. Incredibly silky and soft. Given the beer name and emphasis on juicy hops, I'm surprised by how much the malts are featured in the smell and taste. There's certainly notes of citrus, tropical fruit, green grapes, and pine, but they're surprisingly muted which leaves earthiness, biscuit, and black tea as fairly pronounced. With the aromas that results in a deep, dank, multi-faceted salad. With the flavors the result is muddled, grapefruit-bitter, and bready. Not fruity. Not juicy. More English IPA than American, almost. But the texture is soft and luscious. Unfortunately that means a tongue coated in green bitterness, which makes for a lasting, pithy aftertaste.

 

 

 

 

This is an excellent IPA with a perfect combo of citrus and hoppiness.

 

Thanks to gkheater for this 16 oz. can, which is, perhaps, the most blatantly named beer trying to ride a wave of popularity I’ve ever seen (other than the entire brewery “Rare Barrel” of course).

Name notwithstanding, this beer is tangerine in color & violently carbonated. Like, if fake-wrestling-were-real violent. Smells more like limes than tangerines, which is what I get for reading the can.

Juice Box isn’t the hot mess I thought it might be. I mean, c’mon. The name, the listing of six hops on the bottle, tangerine in the name, has #newmoney written all over it. But it’s tasty! Orange juice & tangerine drive this bus, with a surprising amount of bitterness catching a ride given the 60 IBUs. Mid-palate a heavy malt/caramel sweetness crashes the hop rave, along with fresh flowering herbs & just a hint of green onion & muddy dankness. The carbonation is a touch distracting & it’s not as ‘juicy’ as advertised, but it is easy to drink.

If this beer were cleaned up a notch or two, a Trillium fan-boy could wet their beard in this & never be the wiser. Very good with a chance at greatness.

I was curious because I have enjoyed 450 North Brewing's offerings. This one I feel is the best one. It doesn't have a thick juice quality I was expecting, but the hops are very dank and then fade to a nice malt backbone. Great job guys!

 

Super hazy orange body and head, citrus and mild resin and mint nose, flavor full of tangerine and pith. Feel is soft, a bit of drying. Overall would get again.