The Way Life Should Be
Orono Brewing Company

Somehow, I happen to never have had this even though it seems to be the second most-well-known IPA from Orono, who also brew the spectacular Tubular IPA. This one, canned 7/20/20, features a crazy hop bill of Galaxy, Mosaic, Citra, El Dorado, and Vic Secret. Pretty much all the all-stars right in one beer!. Let's get into it!

The pour is a somewhat dingy and quite-hazy (but not opaque) golden-yellow with a soapy, thin-ish ring of foam that never really builds up beyond a finger or two, but the lace and legs it leaves behind are definitely quite impressive. Surface is only slightly covered with some wispy bubbles, but overall I actually think this is a decent-looking brew. Not one of the best, but reminds me of a more-translucent version of some of Finback's more recent offerings.

The nose here is very tropical with huge aromas of papaya, mango, and passion fruit with some lighter pineapple-like stuff going on in the background. A touch of grassy and herbal elements is present plus the signature dankness of Mosaic definitely creeps in at times, as well, but I feel this is fairly biased towards the tropical side of things. El Dorado and Galaxy/VS will definitely do that, plus some of the tangy pomelo and orange rind from Citra rounds out the show. Very good right off the bat. Excited to sip.

Firm bitterness up front with a rather sizable mango/pineapple fruitiness melding with raspberry, dank/resinous pine, light spice and earthiness, and tangerine. Dry white wine notes too, which is always cool... I really enjoy the multitude of different things happening here, and the fact that they all feel rather consistently-represented instead of it being confusing and weird. I think the low-ish ABV of straight-6% really helps this one, as sometimes these super-hoppy, super-strong beers lose a bit of character and get muddy. This one is bright, refreshing, and fun to drink, a true "new school" sessionable NEIPA, in other words. The ABV is definitely higher than most "session" beers, but this is low on the NEIPA spectrum and comes across a bit more approachable and crushable as a result. Very good. Will buy again!

Great - had in Acadia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I much prefer this over the better known Tubular. The fruit (pear, citrus, stonefruit, melon, etc) notes are more subdued, and the subtlety makes it easier to appreciate how it goes with that bready/grainy warmth. NEIPA that leans more toward the "tastes like beer" side of the spectrum than the "tastes like sunny D" side. Based on visuals I figured I was getting something tropical and extremely sweet with Tubular, and something more subtle when I reached for this, so they've got their marketing figured out.

My 1st from brewer. 6th Poohbah review. Amazing. Love this woodsy Maine 6% IPA that drinks like a DIPA.
a) Haze, froth, lace.
s) Quiet woodsy floor meets subtle fruit, not overly citric.
t) Woods, leaves, pine, pear, mango, resin - abundant colors, large notes.
f) Dry, tangy, bittering, peppery finish.
o) One of the best 6% IPAs I've enjoyed in a long while.

 

 

 

This beer is a retro style.
Lots of NEIPAs now.
The color and appearance are excellent- golden color with a 4F head.
The hop profile flavor doesn’t seem to be brought out- TDH withGalaxy, Mosaic, Citra , El Dorado and Vic secret.
Mild aroma of citrus. and pear.
The taste is dwarfed by a very bitter hoppy finish, and little of the fruit character is brought out.
With the advent of the NEIPA, I don’t miss the hoppy bitter finish of IPAs in the past.
Perhaps a recipe tweak? A NEIPA? With those hops, a solid fruit character is quite possible.

Pours a hazy pale yellow with a 1/2 inch white head, which slowly fades. Moderate lacing.

Pine and grapefruit dominate the aroma. Also mango, floral.

Taste is grapefruit, pine, mango, earthy, resinous.

Medium bodied, light carbonation. Dry, tangy finish.

This is a very good NEIPA.

 

 

Canned on 08-31-20
Another brushed suede, cloudy tan beer with a low head of sticky foam and some faint lacy drippings.
Aroma is a good mix of citrus and white sugar, strong at first top pop and pour but less impressive as it out gassed and warmed up a bit.
The taste is a bit thin and weak, not rich or malty in flavor but with just enough sweetness to carry the mid boil hops part way over the tongue, then falls off the cliff.
Hop bitterness is not soft and plays off the grassy / citrus from flavoring hops well.
Body is light, the finish sudden and tart. All remnants of malt sweetness whisked away in a cloud of heavy handed hop additions.
A decent NE leaning IPA but not likely one I'd buy again.