Causeway
Castle Island Brewing Co.

 

 

 

Drank from a 16 fl oz can purchased at Castle Island Brewing Co., Norwood, MA
Served in a snifter

So, the can has a witty message stamped on the bottom of it but no "canned on" date. Really guys? As for the beer, it poured a slightly hazed, orangey-amber color. The body was capped by a fizzy, finger-tall, off white crown that quickly dissolved. A thin ringlet encircled the liquid. Some streaky lacing trickled down the glass.

The nose was super citrusy. Candied orange peel dominated. There was a sweet, caramel malt presence as well. Bit of peach. Solid but rather simplistic. As the beer warmed, some tropical fruits appeared. Mango perhaps.

Like the nose, the flavor profile was citrusy and rather sweet. Again, candied orange peel came to mind. Hefty dose of sticky, almost syrupy caramel malts. Grapefruit appeared mid palate. Hint of peach. More grapefruit and grapefruit rind-like pith in the finish. Some bitter pine resin too. The bitterness intensified after the swallow.

Light, frothy, fluffy mouthfeel. The liquid contained a fine, zippy effervescence that turned moderately creamy and slick on the palate. The carbonation really settled down with time and the beer almost seemed a bit flat by the session's end.

After trying Castle Island's Big Ern double IPA a few nights ago and loving it, I was under the impression that Causeway would be a similar beer but with a slightly different hop profile. Unfortunately, that was not the case. While the former had a super dank, fruity and juicy flavor profile with minimal malt interference, the latter was dominated by citrusy hops and sweet, caramel malts. This is definitely not a "bad" beer by any means, but it seems more akin to a Midwestern-style hoppy beer popular a decade ago than the hazy, clean and juicy, hop-forward beers being made by many of the best New England breweries today.

 

 

Dont get me wrong, this is good cold but I think Causeway gets significantly better once you let it warm a little. Not quite room temperature but 50-55℉ and this beer is completely different than at fridge temp.

 

 

 

 

16 oz. can purchased at Julio's, Westborough MA. I've been pleased with other Castle Island products so I was glad to give this one a try. It didn't disappoint. Strong floral aroma upon opening the can. Nice head retention. Taste dominated by floral hops as would be expected with "Galaxy" included in the brand name. Since I love floral hops, I should have purchased a 4-pack as I haven't yet seen any Castle Island products on sale in NH. Looking forward to fulfilling that desire on my next trip to MA.

 

 

Pours a lightly hazy orange-copper in color with a finger of white head. Aroma is a bit muted, somewhat hoppy but has a bit of caramel malt as well. The maltyness is also present in the taste but is more of a supporting note. Hops present as lemony and a bit herbal. There is a moderate bitterness that lingers a bit into the finish. Alcohol begins to present in the finish as the beer warms. Decent mouthfeel, light-medium body and moderate carbonation. Overall a decent beer, above average but nothing extraordinary.