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Bearded Iris Brewing

 

 

Double IPA brewed with El Dorado, Motueka, and Centennial hops. Poured from a can into a DFH IPA glass. Appearance is quite hazy with a beautiful orange color and a nice 2 fingers of fine white head. The nose is divine. Lots of sweet oranges, lemons, some grapefruit, and a hint of pineapple.

The moment I smelled this beer I immediately started kicking myself for not buying more. Medium body with a firm feel and a classic West Coast IPA flavor. There's just enough malt to balance out the hops and provide a honey-like accompaniment to the bitterness, but not so much as it clashes and tastes medicinal. The hop levels are really nailed here. You know this beer is bitter, but the balance is so spot-on that it seems more soft and sweet than it has any right to. All that citrus promised by the nose is present and accounted for. It doesn't build across the palate, it develops from orange and lemon to something like mango and kumquat. Thoroughly enjoyable and very, very highly recommended.

 

 

In somewhat grandiose fashion, the hazy minded brewers at Bearded Iris employ the uniqueness of motueka, Centennial, El dorado and Mosaic hops for a complex taste that veers slightly from their juicy and smooth comfort zone as the bitterness and dryness steers it slightly toward the West Coast.

Turbid as ever, the vanilla pudding looking ale rounds off with a creamy white froth that's the catalyst for a host of aromas that range citrus, tropical fruit, berry, orchard fruit and melon. A gentle sweetness greets the palate with a creamy taste of cereal, grain, honeysuckle and pastry; a taste that's quite familiar with Bearded Iris brands.

The hops however unleash its taste on the middle palate whether the malts were ready to recede or not. Its billowing citrus tone is strong with pink grapefruit, lemon, lime and under ripened oranges. Dried pineapple, mango and kiwi provide a tropical complement before the ale finishes with honeydew, redcurrant and juniper. As the bitterness creeps up on the late palate, it comes with a stronger jolt of pine resins, a peppery hit of gin and a sharp citrus peel bite.

Medium bodied, the creamy textures trend fuller but the drying resins and spicy alcohol keep the textures tight, crisp and drying in finish to aid with drinkability, refreshment and an overall thirst quenching character. Its medium long aftertaste reaches deeper into finish than usual because of the bitter resins that cling on for the long haul.