Hop Pants
Thin Man Brewery

 

 

Pours cloudy straw (SRM 2) with ample clouds of tiny bubbles, reinforcing a one-half inch, fluffy white head. Haziness is not at all like that of a NEIPA variant. I see the haziness as a detriment here. The head settles to one-quarter inch thick for the duration, while a webbing of fine lace coats the inside of a Spieglau IIPA glass.

The aroma is super fresh, with lemongrass and grapefruit pith. This is followed by mandarin orange and, more subtly, by spruce tips.

The bitterness is quite loud, with crisp, fresh grapefruit. Also of note is the pine and equal parts lemon zest. While bitterness wins out, it is rather sweet. A mild lingering citrus pith is in the finish. This beer warms well, developing Creamsicle flavors. Broadly stated, I would say Hop Pants #1 represents West Coast bitterness with East Coast juiciness.

A hard smooth texture gives way to a hint of creaminess in this medium to light bodied beer. Alcohol is as expected, as is the soft, prickly carbonation.

This is an enjoyable IPA. While the alcohol is too high for it to be a session beer, the other qualities might allow it to be sessionable. This beer was enjoyed two days after canning on a warmish January afternoon.

Look, nice and hazy yellow.
Smell, not much on the nose but a little fruity.
Taste, perfect balance between sweet and citruses fruit, and hoppy bitterness. Great flavors of pineapple and tropics. Strangely, alcohol does show on the tongue and nose, which is odd for a 6.4% beer.
Feel, crisp and tingly.
Overall, its a great beer for ~$4!