Mirrorshield
Hudson Valley Brewery

 

 

Pours a hazy pale orangish yellow with a short lived off white head. Fruity aroma especially lychee and pineapple with spices (cinnamon, Chamomile). The taste is spectacular! Beautifully balanced sour ipa the taste of which follows the nose and is the perfect balance of tart, fruity and hops. One of the very best sour IPAs I’ve had.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appearance: A bubble show builds a two finger head laying atop the cloudy goldenstraw liquid; the head fizzes and declines with just a few spots of lacing

Smell: Sour lime, white grapefruit, chamomile and a hint of lychee

Taste: Sour lime and white grapefruit forward, with the chamomile building, almost like cinnamon; bitter citrus blends with the sour tones, in the middle; the chamomile and lychee peek through, after the swallow, but the tone is set by the citrus, at the outset

Mouthfeel: Medium body with low to moderate carbonation

Overall: Very much tastes like a Mojito but without the underlying sweetness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Probably the haziest beer I've ever had...orange juice is clearer than this. Approaches a pale pumpkin soup. Nose is mostly pithy citrus zest, although there is some floral character which seems more lavender to me than chamomile. Flavor is about the closest thing to grapefruit juice I've ever had in a beer. Apple skins. No tropical flavor that you might expect from the lychee. Not really getting anything from the flowers or the mosaic hops. Overall, a very tasty but lacks complexity and is overpriced.

 

 

 

 

 

16 oz can, purchased a few hours ago from the source in Beacon, NY....11/6/18 caning date.

Over the top squash soup milk shake super hazed/clouded, and supporting a large, lasting and frothy cap.

Pungent sweet fruit and vanilla infused nose.

Complex, interesting, flavorful brew, with more vanilla, more exotic fruits, creamy and quite tasty... HVB continues to push the envelope and turn out intriguing brews..well worth seeking out...if cans are sold out a crowler is a great fall back...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decanted from a 32 oz crowler into a conical pint glass; canned on 07/14/2018.
A: Pours a murky, bright yellow orange (think mango juice) with vigorous head formation, leaving a two inch foamy, ivory head with good retention and lacing.
S: Tangy, but not overpoweringly so. Aromas of grapefruit, unripened nectarines, pineapple and mango. Cinnamon note and a little resin with time.
T: Again, tart, but not overpoweringly so, but sweet to semisweet. Palate basically follows all of the components of the nose, although with the addition of cane sugar and real cinnamon. Lactic acid in the background.
M: Light to medium bodied with really nice persistence of effervescence. Almost creamy.
O: This is a gorgeous sour IPA and I was really impressed by how approachable it was, as I have been with Hudson Valley's other offerings. Light enough to really appeal to a broader group, sour enough to enjoy as such. Cinnamon note adds as well.

 

Drank on tap at Hudson Valley Brewery, Beacon, NY
Served in a teku

Cloudy pale straw yellow appearance. The body was topped by a frothy, finger-tall, off-white crown that dropped to a thin collar. No lacing whatsoever.

The aroma was outstanding. Super floral with big lavender notes. Slightly herbal too. I probably would not pick out the chamomile specifically, but I can see how this added to the beer’s complexity. Crisp, tart and fairly dry. Quite wheaty. Lime notes were also apparent. There was a subtle, exotic tropical fruit quality as well. Perhaps this was from the lychee. Moderate amount of sweetness. Touch of lactose and vanilla.

The flavor was also fantastic. Like the nose, the floral notes came through strong. Lavender for sure. Maybe some chamomile. Really crisp and wheaty in the center. Moderately tart. Somewhat fruity. Green apple was noticeable. Big lemon/line presence too. More lactic tartness on the back end and in the finish. Tropical fruit notes were also apparent. Again, this could have been from the lychee, or perhaps it was the hops.

Outstanding creamy and plush mouthfeel. Super smooth and supple on the palate. Medium-full bodied for the style. The liquid contained a fine, moderate, tongue blanketing effervescence.

Mirrorshield is an amazing sour IPA that blends an eclectic assortment of ingredients into a beer that somehow works together so perfectly. The guys at Hudson Valley are trailblazers in the sour IPA genre, and this beer definitely pushes the limits of the style.