Pollinator
Magnify Brewing Company

 

 

Picked this up a while ago and had a sample of this around the same time on the line at Other Half. Finally got a chance to savor this tonight on a mild night and although this beer didn't have any outstanding qualities to it, the farmhouse feel and addition of honey meshed nicely together as this went down smoothly. As others have noted, this didn't feel much like an IPA as the hops were somewhat muted but could be felt in the aftertaste as the other flavors slowly faded away.

The pour to this was good as the beer had a muted melon hue, sufficient head, and enough bubbles in it. The lacing left behind was good at the top of my pint glass as the first two rings were quite thick and stuck in place. Lots of honey, farmhouse funk, and elderflower in the nose with more of them in the taste. Bright, juicy, and sweet, this beer was one of the more lively farmhouse-style brews that I've had that should have been classified under that rather than an IPA. The hop bitterness wasn't strong but the earthy and juicy notes that could be detected here were a result of them and the honey just amplified them enough to make this go down that much easier. A hint of resin was left on my palate as a mild grassy sourness lingered throughout.

The best aspect of this beer was how well the alcohol was hidden, almost to the point of being undetectable. While not Magnify's strongest offering, this was a solid beer that pushed the envelope of what an IPA could be capable of. With just the right amount of carbonation and a good balance, it's hard to imagine someone *not* liking this. Props to Magnify for using locally sourced honey and smoothly integrating it with this brew. This was sweet on quite a few levels!

 

Very strange pour on this one. Like a cloudy creamy light gold. No lacing. Smells fresh, very interesting aroma..almost like a dewy spring morning and florals and alcohol. Taste is floral some bitter grapefruit and slightly piney. There's a sweetness somewhere between the aroma and taste. Medium-high carbonation, a little rough on my esophagus, although I'm pretty sensitive. Overall, a very good IPA, rarely do any beers actually pull off the honey the way they intend to and this is no exception. Worth a try; drinkable to say the least.

 

 

 

16 oz can picked up from Bottle Republic. Poured into a Duvel tulip.

Pours a cloudy yellow color with two full fingers of billowing bright white foam. Aroma has a very floral hoppiness to it, with honey notes coming through as well.

First sip has a rush of earthy hop flavor with a very mild finish. No lingering bitterness at all. This is really earthy - the farmhouse character really shines through. The honey helps this beer finish relatively dry, and imparts more farmhouse style flavor. Not sure if I'd call this an IPA, but this is complex enough to keep the palate intrigued. Goes down very easy considering the ABV.

This is good and interesting, but at $14 per 4 pack I may pass on buying again due to price.

 

 

16oz Can

A big, huge thanks goes out to Sammyjaxxxx for a couple o' these guys! Thanks, bud! Pollinator is one of those super hazy, orange juice-looking East Coast IPAs. When backlit it glows apricot orange with pretty astounding intensity. The head is dirty white and bulbous. It fills the top of the glass with meringue like foam, sticking to the glass like glue. The staying power is excellent, a thick cap remaining throughout the drink. Good looking beer.

The nose actually has a lot more of the farmhouse characteristics than I expected. Orchard fruits in the form of peaches and pears get things going. A quick flash of Bazooka Joe pops in the middle before the earthy, rich honey characteristic kicks in. The ample hop profile comes in delicious citrusy waves of orange marmalade, candied citrus peel, and grapefruit pith. The honey aspect is always present and enjoyable. An ultra clean booziness runs softly through the back. Nicely done.

The flavor brings with it much of the same that the nose suggested. The orchard fruits are soft upfront with a sugar cookie malt backer. The citric qualities I mentioned above come through mid palate with big, bright grapefruit and orange qualities running from flesh to pith to jam. There is a rich, rather intense apricot note on the swallow that I thoroughly enjoy. The honey isn't as noticeable in the flavor but does bring a touch of earthiness on the backend.

The body is moderate in weight with a quick, though not prickly, carbonation. The bubbles help this beer move at a steady clip while the bitterness sticks around on the tip of the tongue and at the cheeks. The finish dries up fairly quickly allowing that bitterness to linger after each drink. A beer weighing in at 7.2% that's this easy to drink should be labeled "Dangerous".

Pollinator is good beer with a quickly morphing flavor profile that's enjoyable to say the least. That apricot really pops and is my favorite aspect of the beer. The weight and carbonation help accentuate the bitterness in the best possible way and the drinkability is up there. My first from Magnify is a keeper! Cheers, Sammyjaxxxx!

 

 

Looks: Looks just like what I imagined a honey Farmhouse IPA would look like. Hazy, Unfiltered and Golden. Kinda looks like honey in a weird way. Nice looking beer.

Smell: The farmhouse/barnyard hay like aroma along with the Honey take precedence in the aroma. Getting some honey "sap" or "sticky" sweetness coming through. They use mainly cascade in this one and it does take a backseat in the aroma, but does offer some slight citrus, maybe some pine. Really love how I can pick up on the honey though.

Taste: Really nice. Honey sweet up front with a burst of citrus, with some hop bitterness in the middle of the palate along with some black pepper notes from the farmhouse yeast. Finishes dry. Nice stuff. Cant believe I can taste the honey in the one.

Feel: Wow is the honey adding some body to the beer or is it the farmhouse character comming through in the feel. Hard to tell but I does have this chewy feel to it which I love.

Really awesome beer here guys. Its a true farmhouse IPA and the honey really adds some nice complexity to the beer. Damn it magnify you did it again!

 

I had this on draught in the brewery. It pours a hazy, almost cloudy, golden yellow color with a foamy, egg-white head and extensive lacing that didn't dissipate throughout the pour. It smells of floral hops, citrus, some sweet fruit, and a whiff of spices. This is an interesting combination of a saison and an IPA with enough bitter hops and citrus to please the IPA lover but also some spicy farmhouse funk. The 7.2% makes it a substantive - but not overpowering - beer. It's quite good.

A: pours hazy, golden body with thick white head with nice retention and lacing
S: sweet. Floral notes with so sweet toffee notes
T: sweet, earthy hop notes with some subtle toffee notes
M: medium bodied and firstly smooth
D: nice mouthfeel and taste combo; interesting combo