Unicorn
Optimism Brewing Company

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a lightly hazy, light to medium golden amber with a big, four finger white head with good retention and solid lacing. Aroma of neutral malt, citrus and lightly tropical fruit hops, vague mixed fruit and a touch of mint. Flavor is light biscuit malt, citrus and fruit hops, grapefruit, light berries, mild mixed tropical fruit and some pine developing into the finish with good piney and citrus bitterness. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Listed as a rotating single hop IPA, this one has Green Bullet listed. I'm not a huge fan of Southern Hemisphere hops, but I liked this one well enough, although the flavor is a bit muddled; I'm a sucker for piney finishes and this one delivered that. Over all understated flavor depth and a vaguely English malt base. This can is a month old, so perhaps the hops have faded a bit. I'm guessing the rating range for this IPA is largely due to the rotating single hop. I think I got a good one. A little underwhelming, but that's common with single hop ales in my experience.

Definite miss. I almost took it back to ask if it had gone bad. Tasteless.

 

 

 

 

I had this beer on-tap in a tulip at the brewery. It's billed as a sessionable IPA.

Appearance: medium golden hue with a moderate haze and a thin layer of white foam with a nice lacing on the glass. Not bad.

Smell: citrusy, mildly sweet and a little bready.

Taste: bright, fruity and zesty atop a bready malt base. Finish is a bit herbal and lightly bitter. More of a pale ale, but still quite interesting.

Mouthfeel: medium body with an OK carbonation and creaminess.

Overall: not too bad but the finishing flavor is a bit raspy, and this hinders drinkability.