Pop Art
Bearded Iris Brewing

 

 

What's new is new again with Bearded Iris' winey, exotic and tropical take on their perfected New England styled IPA. With the integration of nouveau German Blanc hops and the sexy tastebud appeal of Mosaic, this beer is simply art in the making.

Pouring with the excessive haze that we've grown to love about the hazy style, Pop Art pours with a pastel golden hue and casting a matte finish on the glass. Radiant aromas of tangy citrus, tropical fruit and a hint of white wine decorate the nose while the first sip invites a moderate pastry blend of shortcake, honeysuckle and soft wheat.

Then the hops begin to bloom on the middle palate, releasing a tropical and citrusy blend of papaya, mango, passionfruit, lime, lemon and orange. All aligning like fruit punch and sangria, a wine flavor emerges with hints of sparkling white wine along with a mild acidic balance. Not to be outdone, a smooth bitterness ensues bringing elements of vinous alcohol, botanical gin and fresh spruce to the late palate.

Medium bodied and trending malty dry, the rounded malt flavors remain and give the finish a creaminess to offset the drying nature of both alcohol spice and hop resins. Peppery with hints of tea, sassafras and lemongrass, a medium length aftertaste keeps the tangy fruit flavors highlighted even late.

 

Look: Slightly Hazy, I would describe this beer as a translucent gold/orange with nice 2 fingers of foam that laces up as it goes down. Nicely carbonated with lots of small bubbles.

Smell: Pretty light, im getting lemony/citrus notes, with a bit of pineapple/mango underneath. Not a hint of booziness from the smell. This one doesnt really have a dank hop aroma morso a crisp/fruity type vibe.

Taste: Very interesting, lots of inital hop flavor but almost no bitterness at all, i get more lemon/citrus pineapple at first, but the drydown is very interesting. This one definitely wakes up your pallate! While usually I expect the hop profile to take a backseat to maltiness on the drydown, this one retains its character for a good 3-5 secs after its down. This adds to the crisp/freshness of the beer, it doesnt feel heavy at all!

Feel: I would describe the mouthfeel as medium-light, the carbonation really lends itself well to this beer, the tiny bubbles pair perfectly with the crisp/sharp flavors and it makes drinking this one feel like im having a nice session ipa but with way more character and flavor.

Overall: Solid offering. Nice choice of hops to really add different character to this beer that comes through certainly. Worth trying 100% if you see it around.