Decipherer
Hidden River Brewing Company

 

 

Canned on 10/1/21; consumed on 10/18/21

Pours an opaque, dingy honey-gold body capped with multiple fingers of dense, fluffy, white foam; good head retention leaves a finger of rocky cap and a large, soapy collar climbing the walls of the glass to layers of resilient, webby lacing.

Aroma presents an affront of ripe, waxy white grape accented by a tinge of wildflower honey and subtle melon rind, informing a bouquet touched with evolving tones of wet jasmine and orange zest as underscores of grassy resins and dank mango flesh enhance over time.

Taste offers tangerine with a musty lemon interlude between earthy mango sweetness and peaking at a familiarly waxy white grape; the subdued malt profile takes form through underlying honey cracker over the mid-palate as a grapefruit rind overlay grazes a clean, silky oat finish.

Mouthfeel brings a tight, medium body with a fluffy, moderate carbonation, fading to a creamy texture through the mid-palate and masking a slight yet invigorating twang on the back end; a chalky bitterness is wispy yet firm, leaving subtle, gritty textures lingering through a clean, semi-juicy finish.

The direct reflection of pungent, ripe Nelson hops identifies and feeds a profile rife with a dank undercurrent, resounding tropical nectar, and pillowy oat/off-kilter malt subtleties; focused and effectively balanced.