Backyard Facade
Cloudwater Brew Co.

Pours a hazy, orange coloration with a medium, fluffy head. Smells of light biscuity malt and citrus/tropical hops, with notes of lime peel and passion fruit. Taste is an excellent balance of light biscuity malt and fruity, juicy, bitter and resinous hops, with citrus and tropical notes of grapefruit, lime peel, papaya and passion fruit, as well as some pine coming through as well. Finishes with a medium/strong bitterness and some grapefruit, lime peel and passion fruit lingering in the aftertaste. Soft mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation.

While I really love that West Coast influence a lot of their New England IPAs take on, I'm not so sure about their WCIPAs having a certain NEIPA influence to them, to be honest. While I think that this could do with a bit less haze and more pronounced malt backbone and pine resin, it's still a very interesting NZ interpretation of a WCIPA with distinctly bright and zesty citrus notes. lighter, tangy tropical accents, a very good bitterness and some pine needles coming through as well. There has got to be some Motueka and Moutere in there, possibly Kohatu and Waimea as well. Overall, while this may not exactly be your typical WCIPA, it's very interesting and enjoyable take on the style that certainly delivers the bitterness you would expect, with some pine and a bright and zesty citrus character,