Monswoon
Pueblo Vida Brewing Company

Appearance: Pours out murky and honey colored with a two finger head; a few shards

Smell: Mango, pineapple, berry and lime tones

Taste: Tropical fruit juice forward with the mango and pineapple taking the center stage; berry tones build, underneath, and lead into a lime/citrus tone, in the middle; moderate bitterness and a relatively dry finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Pueblo Vida deserves a spot on the national stage for its NE IPAs - I have often wondered why all the hype surrounds about half a dozen breweries when it comes to this style

Thanks, kevindp9, for the opportunity

 

 

 

An awesome beer by an awesome brewery, the Monswoon—boasting richly juicy additions of Hallertau Blanc, Idaho 7, and Citra—is not quite as amazing as the "Milk of the Hoppy" lactose DIPA I tried in December 2016 at Pueblo Vida, but this offering had the advantage of sixteen-ounce can availability. I love Pueblo Vida's aversion to filtering, producing dreamily-milky turbidity in their IPAs. In the case of the Monswoon, the ample hop and yeast particulates create a nearly-opaque gilded corn-milk appearance, which—along with the bursting aromas of pineapple, lemon-flower, blood-orange, and honeydew—presents an irresistible invitation. The flavors hardly disappoint, with more pineapple, hints of guava, prickly-pear and sweet-orange, glazed at the finish with an almost lemony-custard note that tastes great but produces an almost creamy mouthfeel, something that seems slightly disjunct with the overall profile. There are some nice undertones of grassy tarragon and desert sage that give a bit of bite in the linger, though these are nicely balanced.

Pueblo Vida, after two visits to the brewpub and some living-room reflection upon the Monswoon, is quickly becoming one of my favorite Arizona breweries—the only downside being their highly limited profile beyond the confines of Tuscon.