Bugg Juice
Three 3's Brewing Co.

Not much of a head, about a half finger at most, dark tan, to its credit stays in place for some time, lacing is thick with moderate stick. Very dark orange colored liquid, arguably closer to brown than yellow, completely opaque with a few lazy bubbles visible. The nose is dense and compact, needs to warm a little in order to release the pine, dried grapefruit skins, resin, caramel, more hints at breadiness than delivers, concentrated unto dried fruit apricot, peach, pineapple scents, partially undone by a vinegary note. Full-bodied and sluggish, the carbonation barely gets it moving and not all that close to creamy. Dry enough that the pink grapefruit, tangerine citrus doesn’t turn all that juicy. Tar, asphalt, close to earthy. Tries to slather all this with super-sweet guava, apricot, peach, melon fruit but it’s obvious makeup. Not dank but herbaceous, this element too lacks bite. Its torpor and lack of a clearly expressed “statement of purpose” undermines it. (Canned 12/12/19)

 

 

 

 

(6 oz pour as part of flight at brewery)

Selected this because it stood out among the many IPAs on their draft list due to the touting of its prominent malt foundation... and wow does it stand out... the beer is a light caramel color and the foundation for its flavor is very caramel as well - a malt taste similar perhaps to some of the Gouden Carolus ales, if you've tried them, or perhaps the 'old ale' offerings of either North Coast or Founders... anyway, the malt is front and center but doesn't quite get too tiresome, at least not in a 6 oz pour, as the grassy and ultimately biting, mildly-herbal bitter underlying hops eventually rise from the depths to give some degree of balance... maybe an acquired taste overall, but (I can only guess) one of their more unique IPAs

 

 

 

 

BO 12-8-17 Pint into Becher. Pours light honey, with a light head that dissipates quickly to a flat rim.
Aroma is slightly dank, fresh citrus, pine, light GF, malts. Taste is basically the same, however there is a sneaky 'kapow' of malts that was hiding in the very good aroma. MF was light-medium, and very smooth, with a nice touch of carbonation.

I was pleasantly caught off guard by the complexity of this beer.