Strawberry Guava Socks & Sandals
Humble Sea Brewing Co.

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: New England IPA
Glass: Pure Project 16-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 Dec. 28, 2021
Consumed: Dec. 28, 2021
Misc.: Unable to read canned on date; Split (1/4) with Sonny (1/4) and Kevin (1/2)

Untappd description was “DDH Foggy IPA conditioned with Strawberry and Guava, hopped with Citra, Centennial, Simcoe & Chinook.” It’s tough to make a good beer with strawberry so was looking forward to trying it.

Poured a medium amber semi-clear color with five fingers of rocky white head. Lots of bubbles actually coming down from the head, along with what looked like chunks of pulp. Excellent uneven foamy lacing. World-class foamy retention. (Sight - 4.50)

Smelled real strawberry, guava, strawberry cream, viney berry, red grapefruit and Citra. Got better each whiff. Not as good out of the can. (Smell - 3.75)

Tasted about as good as the nose. In order got real strawberry, strawberry cream, guava, dry viney berry, red grapefruit, Citra, citrus pulp, floral and dry grass. For other mentioned hops, I’d say Centennial with a touch of Simcoe, and maybe the woody Chinook. (Taste - 3.75)

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Dry finish. (Feel - 4.00)

I would give an ‘A’ for effort. This is a tough beer to make well and it was almost there for me. Really tasted like real strawberry, which I liked. Very good overall. (Overall - 3.75)

3.82 | 86 | B+

Can poured into a Mountain Rambler Brewery pint glass

A: Pours hazy pink orange amber with a few floaties (from sitting in the fridge) and a frothy pale pink head that settles to a thin layer and leaves a little spotty lacing.

S: Full fruit salad, strawberry and guava plus citrus and bonus underlying tropical and stone fruit, a little pine, slightly grassy, biscuity malt, and a little caramel sweetness.

T: Strawberry and guava hit up front and provide a slight tartness, though the strawberry can come through a bit like strawberry soda at times, backed with zesty citrus, lemon, lime, grapefruit, and tangerine, resinous pine, grassy notes, underlying tropical and stone fruit, peach, apricot, passion fruit, and a hint of mango, biscuity malt, and a bit of caramel sweetness.

M: Medium body, moderately lively carbonation.

O: I've said it before, strawberry can be a really tricky fruit to get to translate over from fresh to fermented. I keep going back an forth on this one because there are some sips where it comes through pretty well, and others where it's got more of a strawberry soda thing going on. Cool idea, super fun to try, and big props for not totally overwhelming the base beer. Not my favorite S&S variant, but still solid. Might work better as a firkin or Randall edition.