Hard Light
Ascension Brewing Company

16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned in 8/2019. Pours opaquely hazy green color with a 1 finger dense and rocky off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice dense foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of huge mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, gooseberry, white grape/wine, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, biscuit dough, light toast, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and bready malt notes; with big strength. Taste of huge mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, gooseberry, white grape/wine, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, biscuit dough, light toast, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Light pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, gooseberry, white grape/wine, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, biscuit dough, light toast, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and bready malt flavors; with an awesome malt/bitterness balance, and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready/grainy, fairly sticky, and lightly resinous/rindy mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 7.5%, with some mild lingering hop burn after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic NEIPA. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly bitter/resinous/drying finish; great soft feel and not aggressive. Fantastic Vic Secret, Cascade, Citra, Amarillo, and Nelson profile. Extremely juicy, vibrant, and fairly dank/earthy hops; with a nice sized wheat/oat/malt backbone. Mild residual sweetness with lingering resin dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and impressive style example as expected.