Fresh IIPA V29
Hubbard's Cave Brewery

 

 

 

$ 6.50 (Including shipping)/16 oz can ($ 0.406/oz) from Tavour, Seattle, WA. Reviewed 5/9/19.
“CANNED 040919 FRESH BY 060919” printed on label beneath name. Stored at 42 degrees and served at 42 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 3.75.
First pour – Yellow, slight haze. Second pour is a dirty orange.
Body – Orange, opaque, slight effervescence. When held to the light, translucent.
Head – Large (Maximum 5.2 cm, aggressive center pour), off-white, medium density, average retention, slooowly diminishing to an irregular five to ten mm crown fed at the high points by effervescence and a partial cap. A few small pieces of lacing remain after the head retracts.
Lacing – Poor. Irregular broken pieces of tiny to medium bubbles.
Aroma – 3.5 – Weak and sweaty.
Flavor – 3.5 – Begins with a very weak bitterness and a distinct malt backbone. An exact flavor is tough to pin down – it’s not floral or citrusy, neither piney nor grapefruity, maybe a bit earthy. No alcohol (8.5% ABV), no dimethylsulfide, no diacetyl.
Palate – 3.75 – Medium, almost creamy, soft carbonation.
Impression and interpretation – 3.5 - Overall, a pretty average IIPA, with little aroma, flavor, or bitterness to recommend it.

4/29/19 (Chicago): $4.38 plus tax 16 oz can with canned 4/9/19 purchased 4/18/19 from Beer on the Wall in Park Ridge, poured into pint glass. Light bronze pour, solid puffy white bubbly head leaves generous lacing. Light malt and lemon aroma, nice. Slightly better tasting IPA, nice balanced hops blend. Light crisp mouth feel, bitterness lingers after drinking, mild carbonation. Higher ALC well masked. Overall solid offering.

This was powerfully malty, but where most brewers git heavy and/or sickly sweet, Hubbard's Cave did not. Completely tolerable.