NorCal Meds
Humble Sea Brewing Co.

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: New England IPA
Glass: Melvin 14-oz. Spiegelau IPA glass
Price: $20 for three Humble Sea beers (part of $80 monthly deal for three 4-packs)
From: Humble Sea Brewing Company in Santa Cruz, Calif.
Purchased: n/a; Received April 23, 2022
Consumed: May 5, 2022
Misc.: Canned on April 14, 2022; Split (1/4) with Sonny (1/4) and Kevin (2/4)

Had this once before although I don’t remember specifically having it, giving a taster a 4.00 on Aug. 24, 2019 at the Festival of Dankness. Untappd description was “Double Dry Hopped w/ Amarillo, Cascade, Eureka, Mosaic, Simcoe.”

Poured a bright yellow foggy (has to be foggy because it’s Humble Sea) color with two fingers of frothy white head. Could see just a few bubbles coming up along the sides of the glass. Almost perfect uneven spiderweb foamy lacing. World-class foamy retention. (Sight - 4.75)

Wow. Super dank on the nose. Smelled dank weed, pine, lemon, mango, grapefruit, Mosaic, lime, Cascade, citrusy orange, tangerine, black pepper, Amarillo, Simcoe, papaya and pineapple. A little better from the can. (Smell - 4.00)

Taste wasn’t quite as good as the nose but still solid. In order got dank weed, pine, resin, lemon, grapefruit, lime, mango, Mosaic, Simcoe, black pepper, Cascade, earthy malt, citrusy orange, tangerine, Amarillo, papaya, candied melon, pineapple and earthy malt. (Taste - 4.00)

Medium body. Oily-to-creamy texture. Lively carbonation. Spicy, dank finish. (Feel - 4.25)

Just a really nice hazy IPA. A little more dank and spicy than I’m used to from the style but still outstanding. (Overall - 4.25)

4.12 | 92 | A-

First from Humble Sea
16oz can poured into a Council Belgian-style tulip

p- hazy light orange w/ a foamy 1f white head; quick recession
n- med nose of citrus, melon, and milk sugar-like sweetness
t- a balanced blend of citrus, melon, vanilla/milk sugar, and biscuity malt; melon sweetness lingers in the finish; just a touch of leafiness; quite tasty- definitely a solid profile
mf- full-bodied w/ med-high carb
o- a really solid hazy IPA; worth the $7 price tag, surprisingly

review date: 09.15.19
can date: not captured

 

 

Had this during Sacramento beer week on tap. Ended up scoring a 4 pack of it before we left the place (cool place, can't remember name) . Pours a cloudy yellow, slightly darker variety of yellow, seemed to have possible carbonation issues, didn't make much in the way of a head here, at most, held at like 1/6". I can't say its attractive looking.

Aroma was danky, but when you get a name like norcal meds, you're expecting dispensary level smells. I think its pushed primarily by the Amarillo hop, and then the Mosaic is in a lesser amount. Usual notes of varied citrus both sweet and the bitter grapefruit kind (Cascade/Eureka).

Taste pushed more of the Simcoe and Cascade than the Mosaic. I'm digging more and more of these ipas going back and splicing some C hops in with the newer ones. It works here. Helps cut the "juicy" aspect and bring it back into the realm of conventional beer moreso. With a 5 hop bill, its no wonder this has a little bit of everything from the hop department. Green trees, green herb, citrus, tropical, every descriptor is there. The body is absorbing, the alcohol isn't big, but I did think it was undercarbonated a bit. For me a west coast body and higher carbonation would take this beer to such great heights.

 

Canned 4/17/19. I have been a fan of most things Humble Sea, particularly in their hoppy department, so I am looking forward to trying this. Let's dive in.
L: Pours a hazy straw yellow in appearance. Definitely a NEIPA but not as murky as other offerings in the style. A simple pour yielded 3 fingers of a bubbly white cap that dissipated quickly. Generous amounts of trace lacing clings to the glass, a sight to behold.
S: Extremely citrusy, with orange and lemon being the stars. Notes of passion fruit, melon and pine are also detectible. Smells quite nice.
T: Juicy and incredibly dank at the same time. The hop profile is earthy, bitter and rather dank, while the NE aspects lend a citrus-forward flavor, leaning on grapefruit and lemon. Tangerine, honey, melon, and mango also detectible as well. Semi-sweet finish that cuts down the dankness, with the sweetness dominating the aftertaste.
F: Medium in terms of body and weight with moderate carbonation for the style. Perfect amount of bitterness with no booze bite.
O: An enjoyable offering from the folks at Humble Sea, providing a unique dank/fruity experience. I have to admit, this isn't my favorite hop profile and far from my favorite Humble Sea NEIPA, but it is worthy of a try. I am very glad to try. Cheers!

 

 

Sweet tropical hoppy nose on this one. I was very impressed with the great mouthfeel! It feels soft and deep...one of the best depths of a single IPA that I have had! Taste follows slightly with a citrus-fruity finish and bitterness...the IBUs seemed pretty low for this one. Unfortunately, I didn't quite find the dank notes in the aromatics or on the taste. It doesn't take away from it being a really good hazy IPA, though!

On tap at The Beermongers.

Hazy orange with a dense white head with good retention and lacing this looks great. The nose is mega juice with minimal bitterness.Juicy, fruity with peach, apricot, mango and honey. Minimal bitterness, maximum juice. Clean. Solid, though the 7% ABV does get a little noticeable