Head Fake
Twin Elephant Brewing Company

A: hazy dark yellow color to the point where there’s almost some purple towards the center. No head to speak of

S: seeet mango, blueberries, sweet malt, a little pine note and some bitter citrus

T: mango, pineapple, guava and sweet malts upfront. A sweet blueberry cobbler note behind that with a pretty big raw hop burn. Finish is sweet. Maybe some peach, but I’m not getting much

M: lighter side of medium with strong carbonation

O: interesting beer. The blueberry and peach add a small layer in here, I think I’d like a little more peach though

On draught at the brewery. Served in a pint glass. It pours a muddy yellow color with a bright white head that dissipated very quickly leaving just spotty lacing on the glass. This is an ale whose smell improves as the glass warms a little. Still, it's mostly a malt base with light lemon, grapefruit, lactose, blueberry, and subtle hops. Later, I finally noticed a whiff of peach. I'll bet it would smell better if poured from a can rather than a tap. The taste matches the rather esoteric description. It opens with rather tart lemon, followed by lactose, peach, blueberry, and bready malt. The somewhat unusual blend of Belma, Vic Secret, and El Dorado hops is delicate and only slightly bitter but it finishes with a blast of astringency that I didn't expect. It's like drinking two distinct beers. Nonetheless, the combination of flavors is intriguing and it works. This ale is medium-bodied with an acceptable level of carbonation, and the 7.5% ABV gives it a nice pop. Overall, this is an adventuresome ale with unique flavors and hop bill. I think that with a little more fruitiness, it would be really memorable.