Bandit
Deciduous Brewing Company

From a 750ml growler, filled at the brewery on 06/27/19. Served in a cervoise.

Pours a thick-appearing, opaque, murky, dull orange with a finger of bubbly ivory-colored suds. Not much in the way of retention, just a fizzy, feeble cap and collar and a little slippery lacing.

Doesn’t look like much but it smells dreamy. Beyond the expected tropical fruit punch cocktail, there’s a hint of earthy, sweet and flowery coconut-vanilla that’s frankly making me a little hard.

Taste is in line with the nose, dense mango purée up front, slowly teasing out some guava, apricot, pineapple and lime, then the earthy almost woody bitterness from the Simcoe dominates the finish. Juicy, dank and sexy.

Feel is uber-juicy and thick as the dickens with just barely enough carbonation. No, that’s not quite right; there’s actually plenty of fine, prickly carbonation but the beer is so hefty that it needs it all.

Overall, sweet mercy, it’s a biggun’! Flavorfully dense and layered, you can taste that it’s a high abv beer but it doesn’t come with any kind of heat. Thank god I’ve only got the one bottle because I’d surely just sit here sipping this until it killed me.

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass canned recent with a finger plus, sticky white head hazy as heck dark yellow leaving a thin layer of webby lace as it slowly settles. 4.5

Smell is guava, pineapple, apricot, mandarin, and hints of grapefruit. Yes 4.75

Taste follows guava, tangerine, apricot, pineapple, and some grapefruit bitterness but very subtle. 4.75

Mouthfeel is big, sticky not dry, soft gentle carbonation, and at 9.5% goes down insanely easy. 4.5

Overall this is a serious wow beer for me, the 9.5% hides so well and you literally beg for the next sip. Juicy! Citra, Topaz, and Simcoe hang out like old college roommates at a bar near the beach, insanely good. 4.5