Fad-tastic Vol. 1
Ethereal Brewing

 

 

I tried this beer off the tapper at the brewery whilst in Lexington with the Old Oswego Crew for our annual beer trip. This was a solid hazy ipa with juicy citrus fruit presence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had this on a flight, though I'm not sure about "Vol. 1." It was not especially hoppy or bitter, which might explain why I was disappointed. It's also possible that the tap line was polluted, as I've had trouble with this local pizza taphouse in the past. I really like their pizza and they have numerous taps (and cheap flights). Occasionally, the lines taste suspect. Mostly, they are fine though.

One of the best beers I’ve had from Ethereal. Pours golden and cloudy. Nose is heavy on citrus and the taste is juicy. Flavors carry across the palate. Superb NE Style ipa.

 

 

I really love this beer. It tastes a lot like grapefruit. It’s a very light cloudy beer. It has a refreshing taste!

 

Marketed as a NE-style IPA. This beer was poured off tap in to a Belgian-style snifter. The color is a saturated yellow-white nearly as murky as egg drop soup with a thick head clinging to the glass. As I drank, the fluffiness laced beautifully. Very satisfactory.

This beer was definitely aromatic; strong notes of the tropics (guava, mango and some pineapple) followed by some dank smelling berries.

The taste delivered; everything sensed in the nose was sensed on the tongue with the fruitiness being even more present. Hops hops hops...subtle bread and malts were present but rightfully took a backseat along with any bitterness (which could detract from this beers drinkability). This is one of the best non-NE IPAs I've had outside of NE.

The mouthfeel was on point for the style - fluffy/soft but not sweet. A touch of chalkiness on the tongue is my only gripe.

Overall - so, so crushable for a 7% beer - it seriously went down before I knew it. Hop flavors and aromas saturate this beer accompanied by the soft mouthfeel expected of a NE-style IPA.

 

 

 

The first wave of the haze craze sweeps through the bluegrass as Ethereal brewing is on that leading cusp of the juicy, the succulent, the irresistible hop abundance that has their collaborative partners of COCBLOK (a Lexington local craft beer fiefdom) crawling to the bar like ferrel kittens to catnip.

Fad-tastic comes with a turbid appearance not unlike tapioca. Its slowly separating froth creates a creamy ecru meringue that swirls about the senses with a host of citrus, tropical, herbal and orchard fruit perfumes. Its radiant scent ignites the salivation glands as a tangy scent radiates ahead of a creamy, pastry-like taste of sugar cookie and dough.

El Dorado, Citra, Mosaic and Columbus hops fuel a fruit filled irresistibility that leads with pineapple, mango and passionfruit, but then carries a quick rebuttal of acidic pink grapefruit, tangy oranges, lemon and the bitter bite of lime. Cantaloup and apple esters bring a slight stone fruit character while the beer trends tart and smooth with wine, sassafras tea and a soothing bitterness of spruce, herbaceous grasses and damp hemp.

Medium bodied, creamy and smooth, the pastry-rich upstart develops nicely into a moderately bitter, drying and refreshing IPA taste but without the often polarizing bitter pang in the back of the throat. A medium length aftertaste of citrus and tropical pulp brings the piquant wine-like taste of El Dorado hops to the foreground.