Short Lived - Highland Park
MadeWest Brewing Company

 

Can Find at trader Joe's la Jolla. Decent hazy. Good drinker. Lasting head still good 5.5 weeks in. Madewest beers seem to be a thing here, and now I know why.

Canned 12/5/24, consumed from a tall tulip 1/8/25. Nice gold/burnt yellow color topped by solid 2+ fingers of white head of decent duration, leaving a moderate to large amount of lacing as the liquid level recedes. I have a crappy sense of smell, but this one hit me with powerful citrus with a hint of vanilla almost like a Creamsicle, and a bit of very ripe pineapple. Flavor to match, although for whatever reason it hits me as a somewhat generic citrus-heavy IPA offering. This calls for a repeat tasting to verify this impression. Just about a perfectly balanced mouthfeel of mild carbonation, moderate to heavy body with a merest hint of bitterness and a clean finish. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable hazy. Nicely done (again) Madewest!

Canned 10/31/24
Cloudy gold to peach in hue. Fluffy white head forms a firm cap with decent retention and sheets of lacing.
Nose starts off with a creamy orange note, some green grass, mango, and pineapple. Herbal notes leave a hint of space for a wet bread dough malt note.
Flavor begins, much like the nose, with orange. But a meaty, orange pulp kind of orange. The herbal notes hint at pepper with a nod toward lemongrass (with a hint of ginger). This may sound a bit strange but it really works here.
Mouthfeel is medium heft, good carbonation, and a smooth bitter finish.
Solid.

Packaged on November 7th, 2024 - enjoyed on December 7th, 2024 - poured from a pint can into my Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Opaque golden peach body supports a meager off-white crown. Untidy soapy lacing; average retention.

Potent aroma is bursting with orangesicle, pineapple, and passion fruit along with more subtle tropical/citrus notes and hints of pink peppercorn.

Flavors are sweet/tart and largely follow the nose. Medium finish slowly dries up with some lingering hints of cracker/vanilla wafer. Mild bitterness throughout. Juicy. Excellent balance between Citra and El Dorado here.

Creamy but almost crisp, medium-bodied, soft yet refreshing. ABV well concealed.

Very good example of the style - happy this collaboration wasn't as short lived as the initial release would suggest.

 

There are just so many damn hazies these days as we know, and it can be a gift and a curse. I love a good hazy, but have been growing a bit tired of them, and this one definitely stands out from the crowd and inspires me to continue my search to find more hidden beauties like “Short-Lived”. Not cheap, was around a $20 4-pack (the standard for excellent “next level” IPAs, often these days) at some boutique liquor store, so that part’s a bummer, but you get what you pay for I guess. I’ve only tried Madewest and Highland Park Brewery individually a couple times before, but now have a newfound respect for them and whatever teamwork made this gem of a collab. It has a thick cloudy orange-yellow Cactus Cooler look, but it actually has some of that Cactus Cooler flavor too, yeah.. for sure, they made a Cactus Cooler reduction of sorts and whipped it up into this creamy, zesty and refreshing tropical Hazy IPA. So if you know of or better yet have tasted that soda, you know this baby is packed with a whole lotta juicy pineapple. And the smooth silky mouthfeel is delightful. Orange pineapple creamsicle-esque but with more of a lemon-zesty bite to it. A very well-balanced hazy. The smell didn’t really blow me away, but who really puts a lot of score-weight into that? Really pleasant amount of carbonation that seems to help blend the crisp and bite of the beer really elegantly with the malt and haze levels. Also, I believe I have a soft spot for IPAS at or close to 7% ABV (don’t get me wrong I love a 10+ percenter if done right and even a 5.5% session IPA). I also seem to enjoy the El Dorado and Citra hop combo— I recall it in a few other IPAs I’ve really liked. Delicious beer, definitely worth many more $20 4 packs in the future and will likely stay in my heart...and, if and when available again, in my rotation. #shortlived?