Reverse Mermaid
Front Porch Brewing

 

Turning IPA on it's head, Front Porch Brewing has no problem celebrating the aroma and flavors of hops over that of bitterness. But this upside down brew has no problem doing both.

Packed with Strata hops, it takes the work of Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe also to bring a juicy session to their Reverse Mermaid. Pouring densely opaque with peachy golden hues, its matte finish floats underneath a creamy white foam and a host of floral perfumes that circulate around citrus, tropical fruit, wine-like notions, cream and stone fruit. Smooth and sweet in its malty-plush introduction, early impressions are of shortcake, honey and agave.

As the flavors evolve, the middle palate steers away from the cereal sweetness and toward a hoppier flavor and all their branch ripe tangerine, red grapefruit, lime, mango, papaya, passionfruit glory. Dense with sherbet-like tendencies, the ale slowly develops into a firmly bitter taste with citrus peel, grassy, sprucy, hemp-like flavors in tow.

Full bodied and trending malty-dry, the beer finishes on a drying and bitter track with a medium-long aftertaste of green tea, fresh spruce, juniper and a light evaporative cooling effect from the alcohol. Its a hazy IPA that the cart firmly in front of the horse.

 

A: hazy; medium gold in color; 1 finger finely pored ivory head that receded to a thin collar; nice thick rings of lace;

S: dank pine with pineapple;

T: like drinking an herb garden; strong pine on the finish with moderate bitterness;

M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation; moderately dry finish;

O: a nicely made beer, but too herbal for my taste;