The Dam Mad
Three Magnets Brewing

Once more, the Tavour service comes through for The CANQuest (tm) is a big way! I may not be buying many bottled beers through them, but you CAN bet your bottom dollar that I am snapping up CANs as they become available.

From the CAN: "hazy india pale ale"; "brewed with chinook, simcoe, cascade, citra and amarillo hops". Yeah, I'm not a fan of caps either.

I Crack!ed open the vent and debated my next move since it was labeled as being "hazy", but I decided to exercise restraint & see what would Glug out. I was pleasantly surprised in that it was only faintly hazy & it formed two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, tawny head all on its own. The head showed very good retention and was kind enough to leave behind lots of lacing on its way out. Color was an oh-so-slightly-hazy Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, < 7). So far, so good, but the nose was next. It actually was pretty nice! I definitely got Simcoe the kitty doing her thing, but there was also a good bit of pine and grapefruit, along with a tropical sweetness. This had the potential to be quite interesting. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite creamy, but close. The CAN marked it as just 40 IBUs, but I would have guessed higher. This had a LOT of inherent bitterness, especially pine and citrus with a woodiness that was only slightly cut by a light tropical sweetness. For me, this beer was a throwback to the early days of the shift from bitter, citrusy AIPAs to the current hazy & tropical version(s), but the tropical hops were not as abundantly available & so there was more of a blend. I have no beef with tropical and/or NE/hazy AIPAs, per se, but they belong in separate categories, IMHO. This was a very nice, very pleasant marrying of the old & the new. I would drink this interpretation of the style without CANpunction if it were a regular thing. Finish was dry & mainly bitter, just as it should be. YMMV.

 

 

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a moderately hazy, medium golden amber with a fine two finger head that dissipates slowly to a thick cap, leaving thick lacing. Aroma starts with a big pineapple burst, then settles in to lemon and orange citrus with light tropical fruit notes and pale, nearly neutral malt. Flavor is pale and lightly caramel malt, citrus and tropical fruit hops, orange, muddled tropical and stone fruit. Finishes with resinous citrus hops with some clear piney elements. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess and nice mouth feel. The fruit flavors in this one are not clear notes, but more like a handful of mixed dried tropical and stone fruit; intense, but fully integrated. That sounds like a negative, but I really liked the fruit flavors in this right from the start and they kept my interest. Healthily hopped with a nice alpha oil bitterness in the finish that is quite satisfying. I don't know if these hazies are getting better overall, or if I'm becoming a fan, but this one really appealed to me. Most of this style seem to be one offs, and I expect this one to be also, but I'd gladly get this again. I like the trend towards blended citrus and tropical flavors and more bitterness, which may be a West Coast thing. Three Magnets is hitting some flavors that really appeal to me.

 

Serving:

Appearance: A nice golden hazy color, very nice appearance at first glance. Thin head upon pouring that quickly went away.

Smell: Really nice tropical and citrus aroma. Almost a shade of pine that quickly is overtaken by the tropical scent. Nice scent leading to first sip.

Taste: Very balanced fruity and hop flavor. If anything leaning a bit more on the bitter side. Still getting the citrus notes after a few sips, something that I have found to be less common with hazy style IPAs as the hop can often take over. Very nice finish as well, not too bitter or sweet.

I have become a big fan of the NE style hazy IPAs lately and this one can hang with the best. A very nice mix of both hop and tropical that balances well and is not overpowering on either end of the spectrum. I definitely would recommend this beer if you are able to get your hands on one.