Radio Silence
Birds Fly South Ale Project

Taking a few cues from the hazy techniques of ale making, the Birds Fly South team uses a kolsch-style yeast on top of an American pale ale fueled by old school hops of Summit, Centennial, Simcoe and Styrian Wolf for uniqueness and familiarity.

Pale copper and bold with golds, Radio Silence builds a quick frothy cap before a caramelized and peppery scent that graces the nose with citrus, herb and grassiness. Sweeter on the tongue, the classic taste of honey, caramel and nuttiness begin to frame a taste of granola on the malt front.

As the malts begin to drift away from the middle palate, the hops bring a sharp fruitiness of under ripened orange peel, white grapefruit and dried pineapple. Trending grassy, peppery and bitter on the late palate, a hop tilt eventually wins the palate war with a taste of fresh cut grass, chive, hemp and herb.

Medium bodied and malty dry, the pale ale is a crisp, refreshing and mostly clean session with much more of a peppery hp bite than is usual for the fruitier side of pale ale. A medium length aftertaste of dry caramel and citrus peel accompanies the tastebuds into the next sip.

 

 

From a can, pours a slightly hazy straw gold. Huge puffy white head leaves a dense curtain of lace. I've had this beer a couple of times. The first time I thought the funkiness from the yeast didn't work well with an IPA. The second time I really dug it. Good stuff.

Look: It pours cloudy yellow with a full white head. Head retention is excellent.

Smell: The nose has dry citrus fruit aromas. There are some tropical and candy like elements. Overall there is a sweetness to it.

Taste: It has citrus and candy like flavors to it. There are some tropical flavors most like pineapple.

Feel: It has a medium body on the full side with a dry finish. It is moderately bitter.

Overall, and interesting IPA with a sweetness to it that is not cloying and a dry finish with create complexity with the sweetness.

16 oz can poured into SN Spiegl. No can date.

A slightly hazy but mostly crystal blonde color with a tall fluffy head making up 60% of the glass. Very impressive lace as the foam recedes.

Crisp, clean, vibrant aromas. Slightly spicy, slightly woody, with lots of bright citrus peel, banana, and clove. This is kinda smelling like a hoppy witbier.

Flavors of lemon peel, slight orange pith, peppery belgian yeast, clove, and slight cinnamon dusted banana.

Feel is crisp and clean with a good deal of resins hanging on at the finish.

Overall, not a bad beer, but definitely leaning more towards a hoppy witbier or saison. Absolutely 100% something Belgian/French going on here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L: straw colored, big head
S: earthy, not a lot of hop nose
T: spicy, a little funk
F: good mouthfeel
O: BFS specializes in wild ales, this has too much funk for me