Fresh IIPA V3
Hubbard's Cave Brewery

 

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 6/20/2016. Pours slightly hazy deep orange/copper color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky off white head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of big grapefruit, tangerine, peach, pineapple, mango, lemon/orange peel, citrus rind, pepper, pine, honey, lightly toasted bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of juicy citrus/tropical/earthy hops and moderate bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big grapefruit, tangerine, peach, pineapple, mango, lemon/orange peel, citrus rind, pepper, pine, honey, lightly toasted bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Good amount of pine/citrus rind/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of grapefruit, tangerine, peach, pineapple, mango, lemon/orange rind, pepper, pine, honey, bread, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity, robustness, and balance of juicy citrus/tropical/earthy hops and moderate bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and minimal lingering hop astringency after the finish. Moderate dryness from bitterness increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, sticky/resinous, fairly creamy/grainy, and lightly slick balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is well hidden with only a light warmth lingering after the finish. Overall this is an excellent DIPA! all around great complexity, robustness, and balance of juicy/resinous citrus/tropical/earthy hops and moderate bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink for the ABV and big bitterness. A very enjoyable offering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hazy, orange amber in color with two fingers of off white foam. Head recedes fairly quickly, but lacing is solid. Aroma is very nice. Orange, citrus, some tropical fruit, and floral. Flavors are citrus, floral, herbal. A nice malt backbone to balance the hops as well. Medium body, moderate carbonation, and a dry, bitter finish. Overall, a very nice DIPA and will definitely return to Hubbard's Cave in the future.

750ml bottle, brewed 06.02.2016, bottled 06.20.2016, fresh by 8.01.2016. Poured into a standard tumbler glass.

The beer pours a very hazy and turbid copper and orange color with some golden hues and foamy, soapy white head that has very good retention and beautiful swatches of lace. The aroma is bursting out of the glass, loads of citrus peel, tropical fruit, bitter pine and resin with some dank, earthy, grassiness and crisp booziness with a touch of sweet yeastiness common in the NE IPA craze. The flavors offer more of the same, juicy tropical fruits, mango, peach and pineapple while bitter citrus peel follows closely, rindy and earthy that brings out some hop spice and pine while the grassiness and earthiness is more green and unripe than dank while soft wheat sweetness and some minerality that lingers well. The mouthfeel is good, coating, full bodied with assertive carbonation and a very dry finish that also has some booziness to it.

Verdict: A great DIPA from Hubbard's Cave Brewery. These guys are new on the scene in Chicago and this beer is not to be missed. Really great take on the NE IPA fad, juicy, bursting with aroma and flavor and nicely balanced, really hits the spot.

A 750ml purchased at Binny's Beverage Depot in Lincoln Park on 06/25/16. The label states Brewed 060216, Bottled 062016, Fresh By 080116. Pouring this in a Weyerbacher tulip for the review.

Look- Pours a very dark cloudy gold with a generous finger of white foam. It settles leaving a ring around the glass and some lacing.

Smell- Grapefruit, mango, floral notes and yeast.

Taste- Very floral to begin followed by grapefruit and some mild pineapple. A complementary dose of malt comes up in the finish.

Feel- Very slick and light with a slight hop bite and dry finish.

Overall- I've heard some buzz regarding this beer and found a fresh batch with the friendly big format price of $9.99. A wise purchase as it's a very solid DIPA that delivers a pleasant mix of floral and tropical juiciness with a really smooth feel. I'll definitely keep this on the radar in my beer travels!

brewed June 2016 enjoyed June 2016