Paradise Pale Ale
Crooked Hammock Brewery - Lewes

 

A thanks to the commander of the canquest, woodychandler, for this beer. Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a hazy golden/orange color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is juicy, citrus, pineapple. Taste is strong of grapefruit, mild pineapple, bitter for the style. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall is an enjoyable beer.

Before I CANtinue with New DELMARVA (+ DC) Beer Sunday (Week 774), I'd like to give a shout-out to Matt & Linda DelPizzo of "Beer CAN: A Love Story", who graciously gifted this CAN to me. The CANQuest (tm) is an awesome thing!

From the CAN: "Brewed with an abundance of Citra and Simcoe hops and complimented with fresh pineapple, this crushable pale ale is the perfect brew for lounging bayside in our little slice of paradise."; "#EnjoyTheRide"; "IBU: 27".

I was pleasantly surprised on the Crack! of the vent as I got a spritz across my fingertips due to it being a brimful craft CAN. I proceeded with a slow, gentle C-Line Glug that beCAN foaming nicely as I poured. I failed to CANsider their mention of the inClANsion of "fresh pineapple" & I was Glugging merrily along when I hit some lees that must have been sitting on the punt/kick! 8=( It went from a crystal-clear beer to a turbid, cloudy one in the drop of a hat! 8=( I must therefore CANtion you: be mindful on your Glug & stop with about 1/8th of the CANtents remaining in the CAN. 8=( I did get two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, bone-white head with very good retention for my troubles, so there was that. Color was a cloudy Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, < 7). Nose was really citrusy with the Citra hops & the pineapple adjunct working well in CANdem with Simcoe the naughty kitty doing her business in the corner. Mmm. Mouthfeel was medium. Th taste was like a full day's supply of Vitamin C in liquefied (beer) form with an abundance of grapefruit, offset by the sweet pineapple & then the cattiness of Simcoe really took 'hold. Phew! Their measured IBUs as shown on the label seem a bit low. This was quite bitter, obviously hop-driven, with a stunningly dry finish. Phew. I might try to weasel CANother CAN out of Linda & Matt & try again by leaving the lees until a final pour. I have a feeling that by doing so, it might cut some of the bitterness. My guess is that they dry-hopped it to the point of saturation (& beyond) & my reintroduction of the lees caused it to be more bitter than perhaps intended. YMMV.