Nosh: Nelson Sauvin & Strata
Twin Elephant Brewing Company

 

 

a: super hazy, almost murky matte burnt orange and flat gold color. 1.5 finger off-white head

s: hits you as soon as you crack the can. cantaloupe and pineapple bomb upfront. orange zest and orange juice followed by tangerines, apricots, and ripe mango. a bit of a creamy sweetness as well along with a tropical sharpness that makes your mouth water. a bit of crackery backbone, and some creamsicle to close. awesome aroma

t: sweet tangerines, apricots, mango, peach, and clementines upfront. a bit of a sugary sweetness followed by a biscuity backbone. a nice earthy presence from the Nelson that is a nice compliment with just a hint of white grape. more peach juice and sweet orange juice behind that and some of that creamsicle as well. just a kiss of grapefruit bitterness at the end...just a kiss for some balance

m: solid medium mouthfeel with low-moderate carbonation

o: really nice beer here. i would classify this as an excellent NEDIPA. tropical, sweet, and just a bit of bitterness for balance. the nose on this is phenomenal

16oz can from Half Time. Hazy golden pour, thin but dense creamy head. Fruity aroma, tropical and stone fruit, floral, milk sugar. More fruit in the flavor, plus some zesty citrus notes and a heavy-ish feel.

From notes popped on April 9th. Thanks to MacMalt for this.
Light golden to straw in hue. Fluffy white head, good lacing. Pretty hazy.
Nose begins with pineapple, papaya, and mango. Following these are some pineapple, melon, and a gentle weedy note. This is working for me (I have a rocky relationship with Nelson). Some other herbal notes are detectable but not easy to label.
Flavor follows but pushes more citrus into the mix, some grapefruit and lemon zest. The typical notes are all over the place, but never in a reckless way. This is a pretty smooth ride.
Medium and almost soft mouthfeel with decent carbonation.
Overall, a very pleasant and complex Nelson Sauvin DIPA.

L- Golden hue....1 finger head.......hazy, cloudy......thick lacing

S- melons, pineapple, peaches,

T-Follows nose, same fruity flavors.....low bitterness.....very good

F-Medium......low carb....very drinkable

O- One if the better Nosh series.....worth another purchase

Excellent head production, retention, and lacing topping this orange-yellow murk bomb. Pulpy and opaque.

Aroma manages a weediness that isn't quite earthy and pungent; leaning somewhat bright. Plenty of juicier notes to go along with the herbal tones. Banana, papaya, mango, pineapple, orange creamsicle.

Creamy and fairly light on the palate; you'd never guess this clocks in at 8.5% ABV. It drinks more like a NE-style IPA or APA, not an imperial.

Flavor is a bit shocking, as the banana note from the nose turns out not to be misleading. It's quite a bit like banana puree, including the sharpness so easily overlooked (pure banana puree isn't a complete sugar bomb). Other fruit notes are limited to tropical flavors, including mango and papaya. There's a bit of the bright, almost grassy herbal flavor, as well. Touches, perhaps, of coconut and pineapple.

Is it the Strata? This doesn't taste exactly like any other IPA I've ever had, which is both to its benefit and detriment. It's nice to push boundaries and enjoy something fresh and new (especially in the world of recycled hazy IPA ideas), but on the other hand, popular flavors are popular for a reason: they're successful. I wonder if this profile is something that would really grown on me with repeated exposure, or if it's just a little two weird.

And weird is the word. Not bad - definitely not bad! - just weird. I suspect, however, that this is what they intended all along. It would be nice to try some of the other variants in this series and see how much of this flavor profile is derived from the yeast and malts - in other words, is there a base "weird" flavor that stretches across the range of Nosh variants, or is it entirely due to the interplay of Strata and Nelson Sauvin?

 

No date on can but I know it's less than 2 weeks old. Poured into a pint glass. It pours an opaque, dirty orange color with over a finger of creamy, bright white head and thick, clinging lacing. The Nelson Sauvin is evident in the smell, along with notes of earthy cannabis. The taste pops with notes of lemon, grapefruit, white wine grape, earthy, herbal red berry, and cannabis. It's full-flavored but only mildly bitter. The flavors are full and rich yet delicate. This is one of the most subtle but effective uses of Nelson I've experienced. You can taste it but it doesn't dominate. It's easy to drink. The mouth feel is thick and creamy with moderate carbonation, and I think it drinks below its 8.5% ABV. Overall, Nelson and Strata is a trendy combination but Twin Elephant has done a very good job with this DIPA. It's one of my favorites of the Nosh series. Excellent craftsmanship.