Orange Velvet
4 Noses Brewing Company

 

 

A thanks to the creator of the canquest, woodychandler, for this beer. Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a hazy orange color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of oranges, a touch of vanilla. Taste is like the creamsicle of my youth, hops are mild but present. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall is an enjoyable beer,

Houston, I have a CANroblem! What is it, CANQuest (tm)? I was unpacking some of my Tavour backlog & I found twin CANs, one of which remained intact, the other with a pooched-out lid. Please advise. Place both in the reefer, open the pooch & if deemed unviable, destroy & move to the intact specimen. If viable, CANtinue as normal & report back acCANdingly. Aye aye, base! Over & out.

From the CAN: "Orange Velvet Blood Orange Milkshake India Pale Ale"; "Spring Seasonal"; "Orange Velvet uses a blend of lactose sugar and blood oranges to bring a new and unique twist to the New England[-]style IPA."

I Crack!ed open the vent on the expanded lid, holding my breath the whole time. When nothing untoward happened, I CANtinued with a slow, gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. When it formed just under two fingers of foamy, soapy, rocky, bone-white head with decent retention, I exhaled at about the same time as it did, falling away to wisps with a modicum of lacing. Color was Straw-Yellow (SRM = > 2, < 4) with NE-quality clarity. Hmm. Nose smelled citrusy, but not the usual grapefruit and/or lemon, but more towards orange/tangerine. Hmm. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite creamy, but definitely with an abundance of carbonation. Hmm. The taste was less hoppy than orange-y & I'm talking actual, real orange, not artificial flavoring. Hmm. Finish was semi-dry, but with a refreshing orange citrusiness. It reminded me of the environmentally-friendly citrus-based cleaners that we transitioned to in the Navy in the late-1980s. They required a little more elbow grease, but you could actually breathe the vapors & the space smelled CANtastic when you were done! Mmm. YMMV.

 

 

 

Poured from can into a tulip, 1/2 finger cream color head, dissipates rather quickly, little to no lacing. Opaque golden yellow in the glass. Smells of citrus, overripe orange, some vegetal grassiness. Taste is initially blood orange (nice going), deep citrus with a mild tartness with some sweet malt. There is some pineapple, mango and tropical thru the middle, creamy on the mouth, and a mild tart bitterness on the finish. There is also a lingering sweetness that runs thru this beer, not overboard, but apparent

 

 

 

Pretty orange body with moderate haziness, but much less turbidity than expected given the "milkshake IPA" moniker. Nice initial head of fluffy, soapy bubbles, but it dropped quite quickly and provide minimal lacing.

Smell is sweet and floral, with a nice balance of dankness, citrus, tropical fruit, honeysuckle, green tea, mint, and bready malt. Definitely a little grassy herbalness, as well. Not overly deep or complicated, but lots of notes and very appealing.

Taste is very sweet -- sugared grapefruit, orange candy, and sweet malt -- which I like, but there isn't much balance or purity here. Fair amount of citrus pith, a little herbal/floral bite, and a solid amount of grass and cracker. But the sweet juice really steals the show. Again, I like a good dose of sweetness in my IPAs, so I'm digging this one and drinking it a little too easily. But you gotta like it unabashedly sweet, and you could argue that the taste doesn’t really carry many traditional beer qualities.

Little thin on the feel, but with plenty of carbonation and a nice silkiness.

 

 

12 oz can poured into mini snifter, thanks to Kyle in CO for this!
A: pours a slight hazy yellow gold color, carbonation, +1 finger white frothy foam head
S: naval orange, stone fruits (peach, apricot), delicate and pleasing floral scent, vanilla, honeysuckle
M: medium body with wet juicy finish
T: tropical fruit, creamy, peach and apricot, orange oil, sweet grapefruit, vanilla, hints of orange rind
O: this brew exceeded my expectations on aroma and taste, it is maybe sweeter than I would prefer but overall it is a fantastic brew for summer/ hot weather drinking, more please!

 

Poured into a snifter. Very hazy but not turbid golden color with a frothy white head. Smelled like an orange creamsicle with some sweet vanilla and malt mixed in. Taste was slightly tangy with orange citrus, supported with a slightly sweet, milky element and some bready malt. Moderate soft bitterness. Medium feel and slightly heavy/sweet on the finish. Overall a fun and enjoyable beer. Like a dessert IPA.

12 oz. Can

My first from this brewery.

Poured into a Trillium glass a pretty nice cloudy yellowish color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice thick/creamy one-finger white head, which leaves some nice sticky lacing behind. The nose is hoppy, malty, with a nice citrus complex (blood orange, mango, peach, apricot), nice little diesel like. The taste is pretty nice, hoppy, malty, with a nice citrus complex (blood orange, mango, peach, apricot), nice little sweetness, diesel like. Medium body, ABV is hidden very nicely, with a nice little dry/bitter finish. Overall, a pretty tasty brew, surprised me.