Short-Lived - Pizza Port
MadeWest Brewing Company

 

It’s a wild one. As in, “Baby, I love you”… Then ten minutes later, “Girl, you crazy!” Raul does not know what to do. One second I feel as if I’m soaring like Lindbergh, then the next I am doomed like Earhart. I want to like it and hate it all at the same time. It’s like when the Dodgers had Alex Cora and Cesar Izturis hitting back to back at the bottom of their line up: man, it was dismal. But they were still MY Dodgers.

Say my name. Say my name. Say my name. You actin’ kinda crazy, ain’t calling me “Baby.” Why the sudden change?

Voluminous, tight, white, head but very little lacing. Very clear gold color with no haze. Initial smell was tropical fruit and bitter hops but that was temporary. Taste dominated by bitter hops. Clean finish. To me the taste is on the excessive side of moderate bitterness and I get a hint of metallic taste and more quinine than I like and something like pepper on the back end. Unique but not a personal favorite even though the bitterness and appearance are classic WC IPA. As a postscript, I like the beers from both Madewest and Pizza Port but IMO this one was not one of the better offerings from either brewery.

Out of a 16 oz. can.

Pours a brilliant gold with tightly packed, small bubbles and an oily, substantial head. Looks good.

The aroma is present and heady, yet does not leap out of the glass. Big notes of passionfruit lead the way, shaded by straw, cedar, pine sap, fresh pineapple, and clove.

On the palate, this is tightly wound and well-constructed -- lemon curd, quinine, honeydew melon, and more clove mix and intermingle. This is very well integrated, with each of the flavors melding well into a unified whole. This has old-school bite, but with a new-school focus on drying out and minimizing the malt bill.

The mouthfeel is fantastic -- wonderfully and vigorously carbonated, with a bone-dry finish. The next sip is a foregone conclusion. Nice hop burps, too.

All in all, I was truly impressed here. It's almost a new style; West Coast Brut IPA. Bitter, bright, focused. Wish there were more beers like this, and that this wasn't a limited release. Wonderful -- highly recommended.