Neon Giants
Brewery Ommegang

Pours hazy orange with a cream colored head.

Citrus, pineapple, resinous hops, and candy malt.

Big complex and delicious. Taste follows nose with sweet and bitter hops dominating a thin candy malt backbone.

RB transfer

A: Labeled as Astronomically hazy with New Zealand hops. Well they nailed the astronomically hazy part. A pale lemon straw coloring appeared as liquefied barley in a glass, with a deep creamy, almost milky nature. A soapy white head was one inch, had a pitted surface but held rather steady. Overall a beautiful presentation of color and haze for those such fascinated by such.

S: The aroma was of musky, barnyard scents and oranges, typical belgian like yeastiness from which Ommegang is known for. A follow of sweet tangerine sweetness and some fresh wet breadiness follows.

T: The flavor was yeasty breadiness and orange mixture, tart and dry citrus along with milky wheat and musky cobwebs. Citric dry hop flowers, perhaps some cypress and some herbal flowers. Dry cloves from the yeast, earthy dampness and some damp fruit are also well noted.

M: The mouthful was frothy in texture, aerated, with a spritzy like carbonation tingle.

O: The Ommegang yeast no doubt was a contributing factor in the marriage to the well know hoppy ales of Firestone. Musky belgian attributes, a spritzy like carbonation factor and Firestones amply hopped backing made for a above average experience, though some may argue might have taken a bit from each others strong points as well.

 

Ommegang and Firestone Walker collaboration? This should have been so very good. But, it really kind of misses the mark. From a tall can, it pours a very hazy pale color…The head is firm and tall, but it isn’t an attractive beer. The aroma has a little fruit, but there really isn’t much going on. The taste is balanced, with some tropical hop flavors and a little malt sweetness. But, similarly, it seems quiet and uninteresting. Medium-full in body. This beer really didn’t do much for me.

16oz can from Brewers Haven. Very pale straw colored pour, initial foamy head fades leaving streaky lacing. Aroma is citrusy, grapefruit, lemon. Taste adds some bready malts, zesty citrus, light bitterness. Bready malts stay through to the finish, providing a nice foundation.

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: New England IPA
Glass: Firestone 16-oz. Spiegelau IPA glass
Price: $3.50
From: Trader Joe’s in La Mesa, Calif.
Purchased: Aug. 24, 2021
Consumed: Sept. 28, 2021
Misc.: Collaboration with Firestone; Canned on July 16, 2021 at 8:19 a.m. ET; Best by Nov. 16, 2021

Rachel picked up a can of this for me. Didn’t realize until I started to review it on Sept. 28, 2021 that there may have actually been a canned on date after all, looking like July 16, 2021 (I got it on Aug. 24, 2021). So this is definitely two weeks over my 60-day rule and I really like that to be 30 days. Woof. Still going to go with it because Firestone is involved and they do a good job of making their beer last. Untappd description read “Hops from around the planet explode in this juicy supernova, a collaboration with our stellar friends at Firestone Walker. Tropical fruit aromas deliver at warp speed an exquisite nebula of flavor. Revel in its hazy vastness.” Mentioned hops were Mosaic, Citra, Cashmere, Simcoe, Amarillo, Idaho 7, Azacca and Nelson Sauvin.

Poured a light golden hazy color with 5-to-6 fingers of rocky white head. Could see a few bubbles coming up along the sides of the glass. World-class foamy lacing. Perfect retention. (Sight - 4.75)

For the eight mentioned hops the ones that jumped out were Citra, Mosaic, Cashmere, Azacca and Idaho 7. Definitely not fresh. Specifically lemon, lime, pine, grapefruit, floral, tangerine, herbal and menthol. A little better out of the can. (Smell - 3.75)

Tasted a tier down the nose unfortunately. Got Cashmere, Idaho 7 and Azacca out of the eight mentioned hops, with Citra, and hints of Mosaic and Simcoe (no Amarillo or Nelson). Specifically lemon, lime, pine, herbal, menthol, tea, floral, grass, grapefruit, tangerine rind, black pepper and hints of licorice. Some Amarillo came in late. (Taste - 3.50)

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Long, dry finish. (Feel - 4.00)

This was very good overall. Wondering how good it would have been if I would have had it fresh. (Overall - 3.75)

3.74 | 84 | B

 

 

From a 16 oz. can with a BB date of 091922. I missed it by a week by sampling it on Sept 28, 2022.

It looks the part of a hazy IPA with its hazy looking, pulpy, heady yellow tone. Opaque.

Aroma of tropical fruits such as pineapple, tangerine, light lemon, and a lower profile white bread sensation.

Medium mouthfeel.

The flavor is sweet and bright with tropical fruits. It is also clean and mildly bitter in the finish.

 

Poured from the can into a Spiegelau IPA glass. Best by Sept 19th 2022.

Slightly murky, but a bit of a shine to a lemon yellow opaque body. Not showing off like custard, but close, some of the glow gives it a nicer looker I'll say that much. Head is real soapy, almost like shampoo foam, but reaches high at four fingers and manages decent staying power also.

Whispy like aroma. Subtle grains, but a nice hop angle that's lightly juiced, and has some real earthy density to it. Thick tropical notes hinting slightly pineapple, but goes to more earthy and smoke like flavors on the nose. Seems like a lot going on here in complexity which is nice for a change.

Palate seems a little bit more grounded. Good basic hop angle that almost comes out like soft grapefruit hop flavors, but much less oily, bitter, or zesty. The body is nicely creamy, with a lush sense of thickness just by a hair. The finish is a big surprise, nice and then full of steely and rindy citrus oil fruits. Lots of finishing lime and grapfruit zest all over.

Senses tropical at first but changes to a whole new angle. I also like the bitterness mixing in with creamy NEIPA qualities, a nice treat and change of pace

Poured into a grip shaped goblet: color is straw gold, hazy/opaque, head is off white and presents 1 finger thick, head dissipates to a thin top.

Smell is citrus pith/rind, lighter juice with some pineapple and herb, light pine/resin; malt is biscuity if anything.

Taste is similar with a pith/rind citrus, lighter juice, some pine/resin, malt and biscuit notes.

Mouthfeel is crisp carbonation, moderate sweetness, drying bitterness.

Overall a hazy that leans on the pithy, dry bitterness and a less fruity/juicy flavor.

 

 

Pours a fairly hazy gold with 3 fingers of eggshell colored head. Great head retention & good lacing

S: Peach, light citrus

T: Green melon, dryness, lime & grapefruit up front. Pomelo & grapefruit, plus dryness as this warms. Finishes dry with grapefruit & a touch of wet cereal, plus lime & grassyness

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation, good balance

Had potential, but the dryness kind upstages everything else. not one I'd pull the trigger on again

 

 

Light amber, trending toward yellow is the color of this brew. It's opaque and all this became apparent after a pint can was emptied of its contents into a clear glass liter mug. A very modest, close to white head endures and leaves short-lived glass lacing as it recedes. There's nothing exhilarating with the aroma, as it includes some malt and hop characteristics, muted in the NEIPA style. It tastes OK, not notably, with a weird mild hop/malt fusion that doesn't work all that well. The taste is fine, not exceptional, but the body is too light across the tongue. Interestingly, there's no aftertaste, but that's OK.