Snake Trunk
Twin Elephant Brewing Company

 

Reviewed less than a week after canning. Poured into a nonic glass. It pours an opaque, dirty tangerine color with a very large, fluffy, milk-white cap and lots of thick, long-lasting lacing. The smell offers lots of fruit, including lemon, pineapple, tangerine, ripe melon, and other tropical notes. The taste is super dank with lots of ripe tropical fruit, including orange/tangerine, pineapple, melon, and the unique snakefruit flavor that characterizes many D96 NEIPAs. The Rakau hops add the flavor of mango and stone fruit. But the sweetness is well-balanced by tart citrus and some grassy, spicy notes from the Comet hops. I like the way the Nelson hops are used; while there certainly are notes of white wine, they are subtle and complement the other tastes. The white wheat and 2 Row provide a dry cracker taste beneath the fruit and there is mild, clean bitterness throughout. This ale has a creamy, sticky mouth feel with pleasant carbonation, and despite being 8.3% it drinks very easily. Overall, Snake Trunk is a very successful collaboration between two brewers who can really play the NEIPA game well.

a: bright, yet murky and matte orange and burnt yellow color. nice, 2 finger solid off-white head

s: loads of sweet melon right away on this one with a bit of vanilla and orange juice behind that. passionfruit, mango, guava, and candied tangerines. sweet peaches and faint grapefruit. a touch of bready malts as well. fantastic aroma

t: follows the nose pretty close. cantaloup and honeydew upfront with orange juice and guava behind. mango nectar and pineapple. behind that is some faint grapefruit, tangerines, and apricots. perhaps a touch of peach as well. a bit of sweetness in the backbone

m: super chewy, medium mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. a bit of stickiness as well

o: delicious beer that is very enjoyable to drink. a fantastic example of what a NEDIPA is to me