As Within So Without
Holy Mountain Brewing Company - Interbay Brewery + Taproom

elite beer with elite packaging from holy mountain once again, this is everything i love about fresh hop season, an extra pale ale, which in its own right is a lost art it seems, done with cashmere and then fresh centennial, looks like the hops in this may change from batch to batch or year to year, but this version is special. blonde, close to clear, and lively with a good inch of white head from the pint can, but unassuming really. the aroma is way cool, a neat combination with these two varietals, especially at their best, lemon curd and coconut and subtle pear to me from the cashmere, and a little bit of a different side of centennial in its fresh form, a little gin-like to me, juniper and lime and sage and things like that rather than heavier pine and wood that i often know it to deliver, slightly weedy, super fresh, lighter than expected, with some bitterness but all in balance, minimal on the grain side and in the ferment, but well rounded to say the least. the flavor is just as vibrant as the aroma, zesty lemon up front, botanical freshness in the middle, earthy bitterness later, nice flow, equal contributions from both of these hops it seems, grassy but not green, bitter bit not intense, the low alcohol is ideal for this, and it has a crispness, almost a cooler fermentation type character where it has that lager snap to it, that is speculation but its majorly drinkable as a result. gorgeous hop profile overall here, an elevated expression of centennial being fresh and with the cashmere. wonderful effort, a leader of the wet hop stuff for me so far this season!

This beer pours a big white head over a golden body, with a ton of lacing that sticks around for a long time. It's gorgeous.

The smell is somewhat fruity, but it's fairly understated.

The taste is dry, fruity (tropical), with a good base of bitterness. Think a bitter mango.

The feel is very smooth, with lots of carbonation.

Overall, this is an excellent beer, one of the better pale ales I've had in quite a while. It's got a ton of flavor, showing that you don't need high ABV or an incredible hop load to produce a great beer.

16oz can

Pours two fingers of white head into my Willi glass. Retention is really nice and a half finger of head remains after a few minutes. Lacing is extremely thick all the way down. Body is golden yellow with minimal bubbles coming up. Pretty clear, just slightly cloudy. Great looking beer.

Nose is pretty classic for a modern pale, sweet fruit - mango, papaya. Smells good, but underwhelming/basic and a little on the sweet side.

Flavor is much more balanced up front. There are small whispers of tropical flavors and a floral sweetness, but a big bitterness along with some subtle pine notes help keep this firmly grounded. At times the flowery character get’s lost in small traces of gooseberry. Somewhat complex. Overall a solid flavor.

Body is on the lighter side. Carbonation is pretty high; hops add some bite as well. Not much sweetness, leans towards the drier side, but more bitter than anything. A nice mouthfeel that compliments the beer well.

Drinkability is very nice, especially considering the elevated bitterness.

The nose and flavor each present different things here; they blend well together and that’s the strength, but more importantly neither are weak on their own.