Entheogen - Cashmere, Galaxy, Sabro
Blood Brothers Brewing

355 mL can from the Toronto Brewing 2021 advent calendar; dated Oct 27 2021 and served slightly chilled.

Pours a cloudy, turbid, pale straw yellow colour, producing nearly a finger of foamy, sparkling white head that lasts for three minutes or so. It leaves behind a delicate, arcing ring of lace as it recedes down to a thin, creamy collar and filmy cap - looks like an NEIPA to me, but looks can be deceiving. Cantaloupe, mango, peach and papaya on the nose, with notes of orange and grassy, herbal hops also coming through; the alcohol is also pretty obvious.

Very juicy at the forefront, with notes of grapefruit, melon, papaya and apricot; quite a bit more grassy and herbal on the back end, with hints of cedar, lemon pith and licorice preceding a rather boozy, herbal aftertaste with a touch of coconut. Full-bodied, with its gentle carbonation tickling the palate continuously, rolling across the tongue and lending a pleasing prickliness to this brew's smooth, fluffy mouthfeel. It's a sipper, so the serving size is about right for me - it's a palate-exhauster, and kinda hot for its abv.

Final Grade: 3.86, a B+. I didn't mind my glass of Entheogen, though it's a bit boozier than I'd prefer from an IPA, and I'm not really a big fan of the herbal/spicy flavours that develop on the back end. I get that it's on the cusp of being a DIPA, but the 7.5% just isn't well-integrated IMO, somewhat marring an otherwise very solid hop bomb. Still, the scaffolding is sturdy - this has the foundation needed for a quality hazy IPA, I just am not in love with this particular hop profile. Try it if you like your hoppy beers bold, brash and boozy.

 

It's my first try at a variation of this name and though this isn't any kind of psychoactive substance, it's a decent enough fare. It has a strong white wine nose and a silky feel. The taste is a bit pungent, with citrus mixed in. Not great, but as I said, it's drinkable.