Sit Back Jollyin'
Twin Elephant Brewing Company

Pint on draught at the brewery. I was skeptical about this offering as I'm not a big fan of Brut IPAs. It pours a pretty, opaque, cranberry-plum color with a thin, pink head and sheen of lacing. On the nose there is sour, tart berry and just a whiff of fresh spruce. The taste opens like a Brut - or even a sour - but quickly segues to something akin to a blackberry smoothie with vanilla cream. At the finish there are subtle - but discernible - note of spruce. The taste is very unusual but very good. It doesn't come across as gimmicky and it's quite refreshing. I was very impressed by the mouth feel: it's surprisingly rich and creamy. In fact, I've never drank a Brut with this level of viscosity. As expected, the carbonation is lively and the 7.3% ABV is well-hidden. Overall, Sit Back Jollyin' is a true gem. The taste is unique and thoroughly enjoyable and the mouth feel is sublime. Kudos to Twin Elephant for brewing it.