Man Crush
Talisman Brewing Company

an orange cream ipa, maybe mandarin, hence the name? that would make sense but i did not confirm, either way its a low alcohol citrus packed ipa that is more fruit than hops but also summery and good, light but not as light as the abv makes it sound, utah brewers have done well with this limit i feel like, this could be wheaty, its fluffy feeling like that, a bit sweet overall, but they hit the mark decently well with this one, cool to see a bunch of new beers from these guys of late too, i know there was a recent ownership change, seems like the innovation has picked up. deeper blonde but lighter than orange, light haze and backlit brightness, a frothy white head from the tap, pillowy and inviting, nice retention too. the nose and taste are both led by sweet orange, which seems to pack none of that essential oil intensity, pithy bitterness, or actual real orange acidity, but its not unnatural in here either, just very highly dosed. a hint of vanilla seems to be here as well, doing the creamsicle thing, and honestly its nice with the hops, which also bring citrus but are lost some in nuance and perceived intensity at least to the orange, which really dominates. this warms to more floral with the citrus, grassy and a little green, maybe citra hops in here, a softer voice but certainly complimentary, if there is lactose in this its subtly done, a bit sweet yeah but its not a milkshake beer, and there is a little bit of late hop bitterness to set it more balanced at the end. juicy orange all day, a hint of cantaloupe, and a good contribution from the malt, which gives it a creamy body and a baked element as well. overall a nice beer, not amazingly well proportioned for something calling itself an ipa, but its creative and tasty, good for summer, orange soda-like, but beery enough too. cool beer without being of epic quality or anything, drinkable for a flavored one too, even with the sweetness.