U.F.O. IPA (Unidentified Flaked Objects)
Three Magnets Brewing

 

 

 

Another entry in the Season of the Murk. It actually looks nice with the frosted amber color and a creamy white foam in the tall goblet. First sip is appealing but after a few more the back of the throat gunky sensation is as strong as any that ever came out of the Vermont hills.

Flavors are interesting, with peach and apricot leading. But oh, it's so bitter as it melts down the gullet. What's funny is that this has a charcoal taste as well. Or a touch of ash, if you've ever cooked on a wood fire. I find it a waste of good hops, and from one of my favorite breweries too. From the 16 oz can purchased at Elizabeth Station.

 

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a very hazy, almost milky, yellow amber with a fine two finger white head with great retention and thick lacing. Aroma of mildly caramel malt, citrus and lightly dank hops, grapefruit, lemon, tangerine. Flavor is unusual earthy and biscuit malt, citrus hops, lemon, grapefruit, yuzu, hazy waves of light toffee; finishes with grapefruit rind and lightly piney, but quite resinous hops. Medium bodied with good moderate creaminess, belying the oat component. Interesting in several ways: with the opaque unfiltered look, I expected a tropical fruit bomb, but this is definitely in the citrus hops world with a little pine in the flavor but with a resinous finish that would normally be very piney, but in this case is mostly citrus rind. The chipped grains give a very unusual flavor to the malt, that is somehow still well integrated and supportive of the robust hops. It's closest to a biscuit style malt, but the flavor is quite different. The oats provide a little flavor and body that is always welcome to my taste. My first reaction to this was "huh?", but I liked it immediately and it even grew on me as I drank it. I hope to see this again. Well named, it's not from this particular reality.