DIPL
Cloudwater Brew Co.

16oz can, undated, marked Spring+Summer, poured into a 14oz snifter glass. Enjoyed on 7.1.17, reviewed from Tasting Journal.

The beer pours a nice copper color, light chill haze, golden hues with a foamy white head, good retention and lots of lace. The aroma is nice, piney and citrus forward hops, lots of grapefruit peel, light wildflower with assertive bready pale grain. The flavors are good, citrus forward hops, somewhat fruity, piney, tangy and a bit grassy, soft pale grain, pilsener malt, light biscuit with a bit of mineral water as well. The mouthfeel is good, coating medium body with lively carbonation with a crisp and dry finish.

Verdict: A good hoppy lager from Cloudwater. It's a bit dull flavor wise in way, it's diverse and expressive, but yet, nothing really pops or shines, leading it to feel a bit generic. Enjoyable yes, good beer, yes, but perhaps guilty of being somewhat boring.

 

 

Hazy golden color with white head. Aroma is quite sweet with malt and sugar notes. Hops are mostly resiny and orange forward. Taste starts sweet and malty and follows with piney hops. Medium body and carbonation. The hop profile is quite classic with the Centennial and Simcoe coming through. More bitter on the finish but overall really balanced. ABV is also well hidden.

 

From a 16oz can, date-stamped BBE 0817 so, assuming the '17' refers to the day and not the year, and a 3 month 'best by,' probably a little less than a month old. Served in an imperial pint pub glass... because British beer, right?

Pours a slightly hazed orange-gold colour with a bountiful three-finger-plus head of creamy, frothy suds. Retention is excellent and leaves sticky chunks of lacing.

Nose is brisk and fruity, lemons, grapes, and peaches. Thin, sweet and sour.

Initially, the taste is a little sickly sweet but that mostly passes. Predominantly sweet, bready malt, peaches and white grapes. Very malt-centric; alcohol undetectable on the palate but very warm on the way down.

Feel is smooth and creamy, medium-hefty-plus bodied and only moderately carbonated. Fairly boozy in the gullet.

Overall - only in my own head, mind you, and irrespective of the brewer's actual intent - this is almost a caricature of what I'd expect from an American-style, British-made DIPL. Thick and malty with what sounds like an infallible hopping scheme - centennial, simcoe, chinook and citra - that somehow just doesn't quite come together. Not awful, in fact quite pleasant, but a little disappointing. The alcohol taste (if not feel) is very well hidden.