Illustrum
Strange Fellows Brewing

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into an IPA glass.

Looks: Pours a hazy warm gold colour with a massive 3.5 finger foamy head. The head sticks around a bit before fading to a dense ring with islands of bubbles covering half the surface area. Really impressive.

Nose: Really bright, with notes of apricot, white grapes, lemon candy, white grapefruit, apple, pear, and maybe even a tiny bit of lychee. There's a little bit of oak in some sniffs, but not consistently. Way more complex than I thought on first sniff.

Taste: Again, very bright. Getting a lot more grape and pear than in the nose, but the apricot, lychee, and lemon are still there. Sweet at first but finishes dry, with a light bitterness closing out the experience (it's not present until the end, which is interesting). The flavours come in waves- first you get grape/pear/white grapefruit/lemon, then apricot, lychee, oak, and finally a very mild piney bitterness appears out of nowhere to wrap it all up neatly. Up until the very end, I get almost no bitterness- except maybe a hint with the grapefruit note, but that could just be a mental association with the grapefruit flavour. Nothing lingers. The wild yeast and barrelling are working some magic here. Really a beautiful experience, maybe the "prettiest" IPA I've ever had. Lives up to the "Brut IPA" label, and then some.

Feel: Light, slightly creamy body, with a gentle carbonation presence- just enough to tickle the palette slightly before disappearing. Super crisp, a pleasure to drink.

Overall: Gorgeous IPA for anyone seeking a uniquely crisp, fruity, and bright example of the style. Not a hop bomb at all- super balanced and imminently drinkable, crushable even... but you have to resist the urge to crush and really savor this. It'll reward you if you take the time to appreciate it. It's incredible to get this many flavours and nuances with so few adjuncts.