Back Away Slowly
Sand City Brewing Co. - North

Finally! A dated can from Sand City and this was one was from 1/19/18. Yes, it was old but it it held up well over the last year and a half as this was another enjoyable beer from them that didn't last in my pint glass for very long. Lots of smooth hops in this one as the taste was heavy and reminiscent of vegetables but if you like a quality American Imperial IPA, this would certainly be up your alley!

The pour to this was like most of Sand City's other offerings - golden, fairly bright, and topped with plenty of head. Most of the lacing was along the mid-section of my pint glass with a thin, rocky collar along the top of it as well. Tangerine pith, onion, spice, herbal tea, and deep forest were in the nose as the taste had all of those along with dank vegetables, orange creamsicle, and passion fruit as well. Deep, heavy, and varied, I loved this beer but it took a while for me to appreciate it as it had to fully warm up first. An underlying green tied in everything together and had me hooked once it kicked in, as it was quite strong and everlasting!

The booze was strong too but with so much else going on, that faded into the background as the understated carbonation and solid, bready malt body gave this depth and enough to chew on the as the flavors held my attention. This was a solid brew that really grew on me as I worked my through it, once again proving how well Sand City is at what they do. Darned shame that this is retired!

 

 

 

 

L - yup, that's another NEIPA. Hazy orange paste with a lively glow about it.

S - soft lemon pith and peach. Mandarin oranges. Mild butterscotch.

T - sweet vanilla pineapple creamsicle. Peach candy and white bread. Galaxy hops make themselves known with a wheaty pineapple juiciness. Bubblegum toward the end there. It's bitter, but only in feel. I can feel my face numbing, but the aftertaste is minimal and pleasant.

F - rich and creamy without being heavy. Liquid velvet. One of the better aspects of this beer.

O - at first glance, this was a little TOO subtle, but as the sips continued, the flavor grew. Doesn't quite jive with the narrative the can art is suggesting, but is firm in its creamsicle core. A joy to drink.

 

 

Foggy, pale tangerine tap pour with a 2 mm foam cap. Super fruity aroma and flavor: mango first, orange and pineapple dolls. mild to moderately bitter, no alcohol heat. Very good!

 

 

 

Thank you Jeff for the can(s)!!! Absolutely love that they are dating cans now...dated 1/19...exactly a week. Also super stoked that the first can blurb is "HEY NOW"

Cracked the can and juiciness overtook the air. Poured into my 10oz stemmed pinkies up sand city taster...deep murk and sheets of lace on the glass really attractive like all these NE juice bombs. As suggested from the air, a closer inspection on the nose revealed deep, thick, lush, layers of dense hop fruitiness. Almost dripping hops, but not overtaken with resin...still juicy with a nice tropical uptick on the finish of the sniff. Mouth watering even.

Taste is SUPER dense. Anything the nose suggests pales in comparison to the taste. SO thick and rich...it's almost like chewing on a hop. I rarely say that a beer tastes green, but if there was one...this is it. Chewy feel...a bit boozy, but not bad for the 8.7 abv. Sand city continues to elevate their game and this beer doesn't shine as bright for me as the recent aslin and other half collabs, but it is exciting to see them continue to push the envelope doing different things with hops, and pulling off great beer. This one is a beast and definitely worth checking out if you can handle it!

Can from Monday's (1/22) release and wouldn't you know it, it has the classic Sand City NE-style IPA looks: pours juice looking cloudy orange gold color with a 2 finger thick foamy off white head that was packed with tiny bubbles, leaving excellent spider web foamy lacing. It will be a shock when Sand City doesn't produce a great looking DIPA.

Smells like fresh weed, onion, coriander, lemon zest, orange peel, red grapefruit, passionfruit, fruity candy, light pine, floral hops, herbs, tea leaf, earthy notes and biscuit or dry wheat. There are tropical accents that mix with the citrus and malty backbone for a nice balance. A little different from other SC aromas, but still really enjoyable.

Tastes like it smells with biscuit or dry wheat, toasted grains, grapefruit, coriander, lemon zest, orange peel, pineapple, orange juice, Razzles, blood orange, light piney notes, earthy leafy aspects almost like mint, grapes, toasted grains, dry floral hops and dry grass or tree bark. An odd finish that seems to showcase the floral notes and feels like dry hopping, but it works as all the hoppy complexities work well together. It's a little "green" right now, but another week or two sitting in the can will do wonders for this brew.

Mouthfeel is creamy, it slides down smooth with mild/perfect carbonation, a medium body that has some texture and a medium level of bitterness that trails off with citrus and lemon zest. It finishes on the refreshing side.

Another great collaboration by Sand City, this time with Mumford Brewing and the use of Galaxy, Citra, and Equinox hops. Very shocked this didn't sell out faster, but I'm glad I got some. Another winner from Long Island's finest.

 

Opaque medium gold-colored fruit juice-looking beer with a tall white head... Collab between Sand City on LI and Mumford Brewing in LA; canned 1/19/18 (4 days old!), double dry hopped with Galaxy, Citra, and Equinox hops... Lots of fruity, citrusy goodness here - unsurprisingly given the hop profile - suggestions of passion fruit, kiwi, white wine grape, orange, and other tropical and orchard like impressions... Smooth, soft, and juicy, medium-bodied and plush, with ample carbonation... Bitterness is mild, sweetness moderate... Another slam dunk in the New England IPA genre...