Sweet Jane Blues
Fat Orange Cat Brew Co.

 

 

What really stood out for me in this beer was the slight tart blueberry mixed with a good dose of lactose sugars smoothing out the herbal hop bite but it was still there in the finish. Didn't like it as much as the pineapple coconut variant but it was still interesting to try.

 

Pint can poured in to a nonic glass. No dating on the can.

Look- hazy, darker amber color with a light blueish tint. Tons of clumpy sediment floating in the glass, a solid fluffy off-white/pink tinted head with great retention, decent lacing. Light carbonation streaming as it sits.

Smell- Caramel malt, blueberry, orange citrus, light vanilla/lactose, some tropical fruit and herbal notes.

Taste- Same as smell, sweet malts, vanilla/lactose, berries in there with some citrus.

Feel- Medium but light on the tongue, tart at first with some balancing malt sweetness taking over. Moderate carbonation on the tongue.

O- My first offering from these guys and it's pretty solid. The amount of sediment in the pour is a definite turn off though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a good NEIPA, but the flavor of the lactose is very off putting to me.

 

 

 

Taking the IPA to the hazy, juicy, fruity side of hops, the Fat Orange Cat cats roll their New England styled IPA in a bed of blueberries for an unmistakable "smoothie" type of taste and texture. No one is singing the blues here.

A murky mauve comes in a dull matte finish but rounded with a rich eggshell cap. A succulent perfume of citrus, tropical fruit and a mild herbal medley is quickly dwarfed by the overwhelming scent of blueberry. A medium sweet coating of pastry malts glide across the front of the tongue with hints of honey, shortcake and sweet cream.

The malt sweetness trails off faster than usual for the hazy style of IPA, leaving the hops in command a little sooner on the middle palate. Pink grapefruit, orange peel and a pep of lemon grows into a tropical taste of pineapple and passionfruit. But let's not pretend that the strong blueberry character, like in the nose, exudes its dominance over the session for a tangy but robust berry flavor. Trending bitter with fruit rinds, the berry shifts the balance toward dryness with its own tangy acidity and its peppery contribution from fruit skins and seeds.

A medium body is given an added drinkability from those same tartnesses and spices from fruit although those flavors come as a determent with tannic astringency. A medium long linger of bitterness and curacao-like liquor extends well beyond the character of fruit or any pastry rebuttals.