Incandenza - Motueka
Hudson Valley Brewery

Can courtesy of yllib.
Light monteuka hoppy flavor.
Light tartness. Not great but not offensive.

Slightly hazy translucent straw in color; a fizzy white head disappears after a few minutes.

The aroma is vibrant lemon, lime, and pear. Tart and zippy.

The flavor is juice, sour green apple, lime, lemon, honeydew melon, and a hint of pineapple. Crisp whole grain wheat cracker. Lingering tartness.

 

 

 

 

Pours a clear golden color. A moderate head soon dissipates. A ring of lacing remains.

The nose opens funky and tart. Fruity aromas of lime, lemon, orange peel, gooseberry and sour peach. There are hints of leafy and herbal hops.

The taste is moderate to assertively tart throughout. However , it opens with a subtle malt sweetness. Slightly sticky and doughy wheat and cracker malts provide a contrast for the citrusy tartness. It also supports the flavors from the Motueka hops, which imparts notes of lemon, lime, gooseberry, lightly pepper and grass.

Medium bodied with a fruity yet dry palate and a dry finish. Tangy and zesty mouthfeel but not too mouth puckering. The carbonation is moderate.

This was a well balanced sour IPA that made great use of the Motueka hops.

Hudson Valley Brewery "Incandenza"
16 fl. oz. can coded "DRINK NOW".

Notes via stream of consciousness: So... Motueka hops... not my favorite, but certainly not my least favorite, and I'm certainly willing to be proven wrong or at least have my perceptions changes so let's dive in. It's poured a semi-hazy straw gold colored body beneath a finger's width of white foam that's already dropped to a thin but solid surface covering. The aroma is citrusy, mineralish like crushed granite, mildly woody or herbal, slightly floral, and a hint sugary. I forgot that this was a sour beer, and that may make a difference in how I enjoy these Motueka hops, which I recall as being very lime forward. OK, on to the taste... well I do get the lime but it's not overtly lime. Nor is it overtly sour, which I appreciate in the Hudson Valley beers, they don't punch you in the face with puckering acidity. The mild floral note remains, and there's a bit of apricot and pear towards the finish where I'm finding some earth and spice and mild herbs, maybe like rosemary and thyme. They linger nicely. It's a dry finish with some acidity to it but again, it's not overly tart. It's refreshing. It's refreshing from the start, in fact, with that soft slap of lime and lemon, and then the floral and herbal notes in the end which give it, for me at least, a relaxing kind of vibe. It reminds me of sitting out in the garden on an early summer evening. But back to the beer... the malt is pretty basic although there might be some wheat in there, and it's lightly sweet. The mouthfeel is medium, and the carbonation is moderate and smooth, which is always helpful in a sour beer as the carbonic acid of the CO2 doesn't add too much extra bite. I like this a lot, as I have every other beer from Hudson Valley so far.
Review #7,161

 

 

 

Decanted from a 32 oz crowler packaged on 7/12/2018 and purchased at the brewery into a conical pint glass.
A: Pours a turbid to murky, bright, light yellow colored with a one inch, white head, but little retention or legs.
S: Tart. Aromas of grapefruit, mango, pineapple, unripe nectarine with doughy yeast aromas and marshy funk.
T: Sour, but fruity with pitted fruit, eg nectarine more than peach, and citrus, especially grapefruit, much more evident than the tropical fruit in the nose. I detect strong and very evident cinnamon and sugar cane to caramel notes on the palate, but not on the nose. As billed, there is a subtle but appreciable lactic acid note and almost no bitter elements.
M: Light to medium bodied. Light to medium carbonation with an aftertaste akin to grapefruit juice.
O: This is characterized as an American Wild IPA at the brewery and both looks and tastes like a NEIPA with a wild side. A very well done and very drinkable example of this emerging style. Similar to Incandenza, but really liked the cinnamon caste. Will be gifting a friend with it.