Up North Trip
LIC Beer Project

Picked this up when it was released, finally getting around to it tonight. Loved this collaboration and of course, the end result was pretty darned likeable too as this went down smoothly with a wonderful and full flavor profile to it. This was a juice bomb that came across more than pure juice, which made it a winner in my book!

Such a dank, murky , and muted off-straw hue to this as the head was more than enough to compensate for the less-than-appealing shade of liquid. Lots of orange, blood orange, tangerine, lime, kiwi, dank hops, and creamsicle in the quiet, but everlasting, nose. The taste had all of those as well as the citrus from the Citra and the dank skunkiness from the El Dorado hops clashed a bit but melded together at the same time. Lots of grass and dank tropical fruit to proverbially chew on the but the burn nearly overshadowed that - although that's my fault given how long it took to get around to this. The mouthfeel was wonderfully balanced with basic malt but the hops were present but not overpowering, as a mild sweetness took hold over my final sips.

Plenty of booze here but I'd stop short of calling this "Imperial", as this neither felt nor tasted strong to be categorized as such. Lots to like here as this transitioned from a green beer towards something I'd want for dessert. If you're a fan of either of these breweries or the style, you won't be disappointed here although a brew like this requires plenty of time to fully savor it. Trust me, it's worth the effort and patience!

Sample at Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen 2018, Red Session. Really hazy golden and murky look. Aroma is sweet and grainy with floral hop notes. Taste is sweet with floral tea notes, linden flowers and creamy feel.

Can Date: about a month ago
Palate Contaminants: astringent, salty food

It's one of those that looks like orange juice. Moderate amount of head with really good lacing.

Lots of citrus on the nose. Pineapple and orange, primarily. Some guava and lemongrass, too. Powdered sugar.

There's not nearly as much citrus in the taste, but the guava is really strong. Persimmons, too. The lemongrass is still there, but moss is a bit greater, along with freshly cut grass. The sweetness is definitely present, but not strong. Does savory sweetness make sense? That's how I'd describe it. A little bitterness shows up toward the end, but there's simply not a lot.

It doesn't have much carbonation at all. The aftertaste doesn't have much of the fruit taste, although the sweetness echoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

massive thanks to sirsteve on the goandpickitupformebro. this one intrigued me most from the release. canned 5 days ago (on my 10th wedding anniversary - so shared it with my wife).

the verdict is in. winner winner chicken dinner..both wife and I loved it. literally juice in the looks. a bit boozy bit at 8.5 I expect the heat a bit. flavor is great. nice tropical hop bouquet leaning on the tropical side of the spectrum.

nicely played lic...civil society...nicely played.

A: Pours a thick, opaque low-saturation yellow with about a half finger of 'meh' off-white head. Murky, turbid, bordering on gray in the glass. Color is more bland than vibrant. No translucence whatsoever. Definitely not the most visually appealing beer, but that's not what's important here...

S: Lotsa interesting stuff going on here. Kumquat, yuzu, grapefruit pops, right alongside something super unique and earthy and even lightly woodsy. As it warms, I get more fruits, esp of the tropical variety.

T: Follows the nose with huge citrus and tropical fruits. Grapefruit and kumquats dominate up front, followed quickly by some uber tropical flavors (think: yuzu, calamansi, guava, lychee). The creamiest of malts comes in as the taste progresses, offering an almost vanilla ice cream-esque flavor that overwhelms toward the finish. As it warms, I get some berry notes, giving the finish an almost strawberry/raspberry sorbet quality. Earthy aromas don't translate to taste as much--aside from some generic "green" hop flavors that dry out the sweetness, this beer is overwhelmed by the illusion of fruit.

M: Medium feel with soft, even carbonation and a nice bitter vs. sweet balance. Par for the course for the style here.. It finishes a little chalky and astringent in a "there-are-so-many-damn-hops-in-this-beer" kinda way, but it's not unpleasant at all.

O: A really unique and successful collaboration, in my opinion. I haven't had anything from Civil Society, but this definitely reminds me of the best DIPAs I've had from LICBP--albeit with some twists. The hop aromas and flavors are pretty unique, the latter being comprised of exotic fruits and an almost funky earthiness while the latter is extremely tropical and rich. It's a fun beer, certainly one that I'm excited to see evolve over the next few weeks as well.