Fairlight Poly-coastal IPA
Wayfinder Beer

Slight unfiltered light copper haze. Grapefruit, floral and pine resin. Mild sugary haze with a touch of caramel. Medium bodied, good carbonation, crisp with a relatively mild floral hop bite. Interesting mix of both coasts, fruity and hazy but piney.

 

16oz can

Pours two hefty fingers of dense white head into my Willi glass. Retention is quite good, the head lasting a solid few minutes, settling into a half finger. Initial lacing looks pretty good as well. Body is a pale yellow, crystal clear, with a modest amount of bubbles coming up. Looks quite nice so far.

The nose is aromatic. Pretty heavy citrus and citrus rind, with a noble/grassy background aroma. Smells very southern hemisphere, tangy. A touch of gooseberry/melon that grows significantly over time, perhaps Simcoe. A little heavy on the citrus at times, but this has a fair amount going on, and is absolutely lovely overall.

All of those aromas come through to the flavor. Citrus is at the forefront, but it’s not overpowering, blends with a touch of malt. Hits with some gooseberries, and a little spice towards the finish. This definitely has a kick to it, that citrus brings a slightly abrasive feel, but I don’t mind too much. Not super deep in each flavor, but the flavor as a whole packs a punch. A little weird honestly, the citrus and malt blend makes for a strange combination, but I like this.

The carbonation is pretty high, which I think actually works pretty well. The body has some weight to it. The citrus and hop bitterness are a little touchy at times, but again, it works ok. Malt sweetness is a little elevated considering how refreshing and bright this is. Very wet. Not a huge fan of the mouthfeel with the citrus and mild sweetness together, but it’s not detrimental; carbonation somewhat saves it.

The drinkability is pretty good. It’s a little rough around the edges at times, but overall it’s tasty with no big complaints.

Appearance turned out decent. The head eventually dissipated, leaving some slouchy lacing, but not horrible.

Overall a pretty unique IPA. Hop selection is certainly different, with the spicy/grassy hops mixed with citrus/gooseberry. Doesn’t get any less interesting with the malt or mouthfeel. Not perfect, but I definitely dig it.

Can from Uptown Market.

A clear orange with a dense white head with good retention and lacing this looks solid. The nose is bright, fragrant, tropical with mango, guava, passionfruit and some peach, but also with a pleasant citrus bitterness that's a strong undercurrent. The palate opens clean, fragrant and mildly bitter with orange peel and a peach like bitterness. Lots of tropical fruit with mango, papaya peach, passionfruit, but cleanly executed. Moderately bitter on the finish.