Murkaholics
Alvarado Street Brewery

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: New England Double / Imperial IPA
Glass: Pure Project 3rd anniversary 14-oz. Teku glass
Price: $6.49
From: Bottlecraft Beer Shop in North Park (San Diego), Calif.
Purchased: Oct. 14, 2022
Consumed: Oct. 26, 2022
Misc.: Collaboration with Alvarado Street; Canned on Sept. 20, 2022

Picked up a can of this while at Bottlecraft North Park. Had a taster of it just four days before buying a can of it, giving it a 4.25 on Untappd and writing “Excellent collab with Pure Project. May be undervaluing this.” Untappd description was “A juicy Double IPA brewed with our Murkaholic friends, Pure Project. Stuffed to the gills with uber-tropical New Zealand grown Riwaka hops, as well as our hand selected Citra (both pellet & lupulin powder). Lotsa’ raw oats & wheat for that fluffy mouthfeel.”

Poured a light-to-medium gold hazy color with two fingers of frothy white head. Could see a few bubble streams creeping up along the sides of the glass. Excellent layered foamy lacing. Very good retention. (Sight - 4.25)

Smelled Riwaka, pineapple juice, grapefruit, Citra, tangerine, peach, papaya, mango, pear and Simply Tropical Juice. Smelled just as good from the nose. (Smell - 4.25)

Taste wasn’t quite as good as the nose but still close. In order got Riwaka, pineapple juice, grapefruit rind, Citra, tangerine, peach, papaya, pear, mango and Simply Tropical Juice. (Taste - 4.25)

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Long, citrusy finish. (Feel - 4.25)

About as good as I remember it. Just an excellent hazy DIPA. (Overall - 4.25)

4.25 | 95 | A

Had Murkaholics poured from pint can, bottom stamped "CANNED ON 09/20/2022," and "GOTTA BE FRESH," birthday present from little bro' in Cali yo, into nonic pint.

Pours orange-juice murky with 1-finger, creamy, near-white head, with excellent retention, leaving thick rings of lace down the glass. Aromas of resin and oats off the pour, then bright citrus, including orange and lime, as warms joined by a little hop spice, some continuing earthy, herbal dankness, berries and a little tart stone fruit. Begins crisp orange over big oat pillows and a little wheat spice, then some lime, and a bit of peppery hop spice, leading into an oat-sticky, earthly-dank, slightly-tart, indistinguishably-fruity finish.

Thick, mostly muted citrus and not very bitter, this is a pretty straight take on what is commonly understood as an NEIPA, with only the addition of a little hop spice from the NZ Riwaka, a Noble hop descendant. Do brewers ever really show their best cards for collaborations? Maybe "murky" should be the default style for all collaborations?

Can poured into an Alvarado Street Brewery Willi Beecher glass

A: Pours hazy peachy golden amber with a frothy off white head that settles to a firm layer and leaves plenty of nice lacing.

S: Like a citrus and tropical fruit smoothie, bright and zesty, ripe and juicy, a touch resinous, biscuity malt, and caramel sweetness.

T: Bright juicy citrus, orange/tangerine, grapefruit, and lemon lime, underlying tropical and stone fruit, peach, apricot, mango, passion fruit, and a little pineapple, slightly resinous, biscuity malt, and caramel sweetness.

M: Medium body, moderate carbonation, soft on the palate.

O: Alvarado Street and Pure project come together beautifully, as do the Riwaka and Citra hops. First sip was great and it just grew on me even more from there. Feel like I'm actually scoring it a little low. Will definitely try to revisit.

 

2022 batch! Sweet tropical hoppy, white wine grape, orange citrus, and Riwaka hoppy-dank nose on this one! Yum! You sure there is no Nelson hops in here?!

Taste follows with a sweet orange-tangerine hoppy citrus and a soft, Riwaka-dank bitter swallow...that bitterness lingers a little bit on the back of the throat.

This is really good...and a great use of Riwaka and Citra together. It would be an all-timer it it had a little more depth/was more "murkier" on the palate. This is fantastic!

 

 

 

Colab with Pure Project.
Pours a cloudy straw-yellow, with a nice cap of foam. The nose isn’t as bright as when I first had it a week prior, but I still pick up on the peach, lychee, and mellow citrus notes. Creamy smooth, with only a little bitterness. It’s good.

Another outstanding recipe from Alvarado, in collaboration with Pure Project. Bought in a can at City Beer Store dated 3/2/2020 (11 days ago).
Beautifully murky as advertised and the riwaka hops contribute to a truly luscious flavour and mouthfeel.
The 8.1 abv is not discernable so be careful. ;-)