Torrential Downpour
Platform Beer Co.

My last of the CANtinuation of my (Un?)Happy New Jumping Off of the New Platform Beer Sunday (Week 755)! I have been redding up my house during my CANvalescence from surgery & putting together a number of brewery horizontals in doing so. I had planned, even before its announcement about its sale to A-B/InBev, to drink a buncha beers & a seltzer from Kleveland's Platform Beer Co. for this week's NBS. I was disheartened to hear of the news, especially having read the GI story. I am not one to boycott a beer due to their acquisition by a large corporation, but it did take some of the wind out of my sails.

From the CAN: "Small Batch IPA Series"; "Grains[:] 2 Row[,] Pale Ale[,] Vienna[,] Carared[,] Hops[:] El Dorado[,] Citra[,] Comet[,] Yeast[:] Voss Viek[,] Adjuncts[:] Flaked Oats[,] Lactose[,] Strawberry Puree[,] Milkshake IPA[,] Plato[:] 17.5[,] IBU[:] 42"; "Ohio Craft Beer".

At this point, I have decided that if they identify it as "Hazy/Milkshake IPA/NEIPA" on the CAN, then I am proceeding acCANdingly with a hard Glug. First, though, I needed to Crack! open the vent in order to get things started. I beCAN by letting it free-flow until the foaming action got to be a bit much, forcing me to back down & off. Once again, I wound up with two-plus fingers of foamy, soapy, rocky, tawny head with decent retention. It was like we had done this before! Color was an oh-so-slightly-hazy Amber (SRM = > 7, < 9). Nose smelled of pine & strawberry! This horizontal has really paid dividends in that had I not done it this way, I would have missed out on a LOT of the subtle nuances between these beers. I am also sure that Platform would have rather that I drank them fresh, but I took good care of them & look at how well this has turned out. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was more grapefruit than pine, but I definitely got the strawberry! Mmm. I love strawberries. They are my favorite fruit, followed by blueberries & then red raspberries. This was just the right way to wrap up this ongoing excursion into Platform, IMHO. It was semi-sweet to semi-dry & left me licking my lips after each sip. Mmm. I could see drinking this more often, if it weren't a one-off. 8=(

 

 

 

 

Fantastic hoppy vanilla aroma and flavor. First of the new trend of milkshake IPAs I've tried and I am without a doubt hooked. The fruit flavors aren't as pronounced as I originally expected, subtle and provided a slight tartness that balanced the hops perfectly.

 

 

 

 

Overpoweringly sweet with no business being called an IPA. First time I've tried Platform and most likely my last. Terrible beer.

 

Just a miss. Pass.

 

A: The beer is cloudy yellow in color. It poured with a finger and a half high white head that died down but consistently left a layer of bubbles covering the surface, a narrow collar around the edge, and lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Light aromas of stone fruit and strawberries are present in the nose. The strawberries stand out more as the beer warms up a tad.
T: The taste has flavors of lactose sugar with notes of strawberries. No bitterness is perceptible.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a bit smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: Between the lactose, strawberries, and smooth mouthfeel, this is one unique kind of an "IPA".

Serving type: can

I got a six pack of this from my local meijer. It poured a hazy orangish with chunks of floaties and white head that is not leaving any lace. The scent had smashed marmalade fruit scent. The taste was sweet leaning with fruit smash presence. The mouthfeel was lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall its ok... would like to try on tap....get ride of chunks.

 

12 FL OZ can
Served in an oversized, stemless, wine glass

This beer pours hazy with visible chunks of yeast suspended in the solution. It is topped with two inches of tan head that leaves spotty lacing.

The smell is citrus fruit at first. Once it warms a little the strawberry comes through rather nicely along with the lactose.

The flavor is citrus and tropical fruit upfront. The strawberry and lactose comes through the middle with a mild citrus finish.

Medium mouthfeel

A friend recommended this beer to me. It is pretty darn tasty once it warms a little. It is growing on me with each sip.

 

Pours a milky, opaque deep gold/light amber coloration with a small, fizzy head. Smells mainly of tropical fruit: mango, passion fruit, guava, with a hint of strawberry and cat piss as well. Taste is quite hoppy up front, with sweet, juicy tropical fruit dominating: mango, passion fruit, guava. There's also a hint of strawberry and some light biscuity malt detectable. Finishes with a light bitterness and medium/strong hop burn in the aftertaste. Thick, creamy mouthfeel with a medium body and low carbonation.

The initial sweetness is balanced nicely by a light bitterness and quite a bit of hop burn, making this a bit of a rollercoaster, but in a good way. Mouthfeel is exceptional. I poured this carefully at first, resulting in what I first perceived to be your average NEIPA. However, the final pour was quite thick and milky (no particulates), totally transforming the beer and lending it that thick, creamy mouthfeel. I would actually recommend shaking this lightly before pouring.