Diplomatic Immunity
Thin Man Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

Look: Hazy, Pale Yellow.
Smell: Tropical Fruit.
Taste: Less bitter than I thought for this NEIPA. Tropical Fruit. Melon, Mango, Pineapple. Smooth throughout the taste. A little sweetness at the end.
Feel: Thick. Coats your mouth and tongue.
Overall: Really satisfied with this NEIPA. Solid flavor without being overly fruity.

Nothing should be immune from an honest rating. A pint can's contents poured into a clear Imperial pint glass will initiate the process. The concoction is blond, cloudy blond, with just a little too much white foam atop. When it's this billowy and recedes unevenly, it's no longer a head, it's foam. The glass lacing is reasonable. The aroma is fresh and mildly hoppy, but quite subdued. Things get better with the taste. The nose picked up some fresh hops and the taste just about explodes with them. With a light mouthfeel, there's little malty counterbalance, so it's not complex. The refreshingly clean and sharp hoppiness mitigates most of that. Traditionally, a great IPA should bring at least a little maltiness; ergo, this isn't one. It is a good one, at least a good AIPA, thanks to a very pleasantly hopped brew. Once again, Simcoe hops help salvage an otherwise ordinary ale.

 

Bottom of can is stamped FEB23-2021. I assume that's a borned-on date.

Pours a "hazy" (read: chalky) banana taffy yellow. Head is very creamy, however, and leaves some pretty lacing so it's not a full-on eyesore. Smell is a bit of an all-over-the-place clusterfuck. There's some pineapple, a little peach and some bitter citrus of indeterminate color. Which all sounds fine, but somehow it's not. There's something a little gnarly buried in there. A dirty 'ol shoe, perhaps. And yes, my glass is clean. Hand-washed and dried. Bite me. Tastes of tart, bitter lemon right up front before it's all buried in a wave of syrupy sweetness. There's an odd note on the very back end that I can't identify. Something spicy; not "hot" spicy, just, you know, spice. Regardless, this is not good; no balance or subtlety. Mouthfeel is kind of soft up front before being washed out watery. I'm not a particularly big fan of this style to begin with, but this is an especially bad example. Or maybe I'm just a fucking curmudgeon today.

 

Pours a hazy yellow with an orangish tint. 1 inch foamy, white head. Heavy lacing.

Aroma is very fruity. Pineapple and mango dominate. Also, peach, papaya, grapefruit.

Taste is grapefruit, peach, mango, pineapple, papaya. Slight grassiness.

Medium to full bodied, moderate carbonation. Oily, semi-sweet finish.

A nice NEIPA. Tons of tropical fruits.

Deep, agitated head filled with crevices, close to bone white, not much stick to the lacing. Bright straw yellow color, holds enough light inside the liquid to avoid it looking like puree, still fully opaque. Bright and lively nose of lemon, grapefruit citrus, white pepper, unprocessed grains, light with good lift and separation, feels soft in the nostrils, no overt dankness, pear, pineapple, apricot to kiwi scents, touch floral, just found it to be awful pretty and easy to sniff. Medium-bodied, soft and creamy here as well, the carbonation tends to fluff it up more than prick. Dryish on the whole, while there’s more noticeable ripeness here in the mango, guava, peach fruit it’s more flavor than sugariness. Citrus turns towards pink grapefruit. Mild piney notes replace the pepperiness. Raw grains, maybe enough to fashion a country style bread crust. Could seem minty at times. Again, finding it more dry than bitter. Not heavy at all, a flaw of this style for me. Could drink this all night long. (Canned 8/6/20)

 

 

16oz can. Poured out a cloudy, golden orange color with a small, cream-colored head of foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass. It smelled of mango, guava, pineapple and citrus with some caramel notes. Sweet tropical fruit taste with a sharp bitterness and toasted caramel.

On tap at Captain Jack's Goodtime Tavern in Sodus Point, NY.

This one pours a very hazy and milky golden yellow color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells like sweet pink grapefruit, pineapple, orange creamsicle, and grassiness.

This is solidly done and just about spot on for what you expect out of this style these days. There's very little bitterness - maybe just a touch of floral/grassiness, along with big tangerine/orange/pineapple/grapefruit citrusy hop character. It's not super unique as this sort of thing goes, but it tastes fresh and it's well brewed.

This is creamy, with a minimal bitterness and a very smooth finish.

If NE-style IPAs are what you're looking for these days, this will probably scratch that itch for you.