Ten of Swords
Holy Mountain Brewing Company - Interbay Brewery + Taproom

 

Straight pour from a 16oz can to a stemless wine glass (HPB’s Bottle Friends cat glass). This has no canning date, just a black ink typed message on the underside of the can that says “GRIND ALL DAY THEN IPA.” I know that this was released on May 3 (four days ago), though, so I can reasonably assume that it’s oh, I don’t know, less than ten days old at the time of consumption.

Appearance (3.75): This beer pours out about a finger of creamy, ecru foam capping a somewhat murky, moderately dark orange-tan body. The head dies down at an average pace, leaving little in the way of lacing at first, but a relatively thin, ragged, sudsy and definitely leggy collar does stick around the glass where the head began.

Smell (4.5): Not surprisingly, the nose projects big mango, papaya, white peach, and some passionfruit, threaded with brioche, faint toffee notes, and subtle notes of very terpene-heavy bud. You know what, guava is in here, too. Classic P.O.G. tiki-style mixture. (Which, in my opinion, is sublime.) As the beer opens up, it definitely trends fruit-dominated, and I am just fine with that.

Taste (4.25): Whoa, on the palate this beer throws a curveball. Tiki drink fruit juice leads the way with boxed Latin grocery store orange juice, some crushed pineapple, and ripe papaya juice before a bright, kind of grassy, but very much kept-in-check bitterness makes itself known—but it’s almost perfectly matched with big, rich, syrupy fruit notes, which like in the nose are threaded with brioche, pale caramel or brown sugar icing, which serves to emphasize the Big Juice Energy vibe that dominates throughout. Even so, a lime zest twang appears right at the front, settles into a groove, and only becomes clearer as the drink goes on, allowing the sweetness and fruity bombast to play out without feeling cloying or too syrupy. A subtle booze creeps in toward the back, which adds an appropriate richness without feeling objectionable.

Mouthfeel (3.75): Okay, so most of what’s going on here is very good: extremely fine, tingly carbonation floating a relatively thick body, as the hops, with their drying bitterness, allow the body to lift up a bit and not feel so heavy. It foams up easily but moderately on the back end, washing out very nicely and cleanly. That said, the body is quite full-feeling and a bit syrupy. Granted, it’s 8.5% ABV, but it’s just a bit too thick for my taste.

Overall (4.25): This is a very, very good beer in the end. There are a couple of things that I’m not 100% in love with—thick body, underwhelming lacing—but it’s still thoroughly enjoyable to drink and there are plenty of unexpected, fun notes in the drinking experience that make it more than worthwhile. Recommended, if you’re looking for a big, hazy juice boi in Seattle with some character.

 

 

 

 

L: pours thick a thick dark complete hazy orange with a finger of white head
S: dank orange colored citrus fruit. Yum
T: tangerine and orange jump out. I like how it is not overly sweet nor bitter.
F: thick, creamy, smooth, awesome fruit finish without being bitter.
O: This is awesome

This is an absolutely stunning collaboration from E9 and Holy Mountain. Served on tap at the Engine House 9 brewery in Tacoma. Poured a thick hazy gold with a modest lacy head. Smelled of tropical fruit with strong citrus notes. Mouth feel was fantastic, the strong carbonation helped fool me that this was an 8.5% beer. Hands down one of the most crushable hazy IIPAs I've had in a while. Outstanding stuff. Only bummer is the super limited release. If you see this on the trade market, jump right on it.