Smooooth
Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company

 

 

An initial pour from a pint can into a clear glass Imperial pint mug produced too much foam to be completed in one attempt. As usual, it's likely wheat in the wort which often causes this foaminess. It's stark white and recedes unevenly and unattractively. The brew is a dark apricot-amber color that's densely opaque. The intent described on the label to make something reminiscent of citrus and mango certainly works for the nose here. The citrus aspect is more grapefruit than lemon. This drinks about the same. Hints of mango and grapefruit are also there in its taste. It goes across the tongue smoothly and has a decent body, regardless of the wheat. The finish gets a little piney, but not too hoppy bitter for most IPA lovers. The taste of the alcohol is well hidden, as too, is the glace lacing. Like most IPAs that get skimpy with the barley malt, this is lacking enough in its depth and complexity of flavors to be great. But it is a very pleasant way to imbibe a significant ABV with more than enough smoothness and taste. This is unfiltered which probably adds to its strengths and to a little residue at the bottom of the glass.

 

 

 

Pours a hazy orange with a fluffy head and a lot of lacing.

Smells of floral slightly piney hops with some citrus and pineapple.

Tastes of slightly tart citrus and pineapple with a slightly bitter finish.

Medium light body with light carbonation. Smooth clean mouthfeel.

This is a very juicy and drinkable brew that folks who dislike bitter IPAs should like.

 

 

Poured into a 13 oz Teku glass canned on 3/24/21. Pours a hazy orange with a 2 finger sticky white head that leaves massive streaks of lace with excellent retention. 4.5

Aroma tangerine, papaya, ripe melon, blueberry, and apricot. 4.25

Taste follows tangerine, cantaloupe, blueberry, papaya, and apricot. 4.25

Mouthfeel is big, rather soft slightly creamy carbonation, maybe a little sticky but not dry, and at 8% ABV really drinkable. 4.5

Overall this is the best I have had from them in awhile, missing those dark floaties that can be a turn off and really a tasty NEDIPA. 4.25

 

 

Canned on 02-22-21.

A - Opaque dark orange gold color with a one fingered dense, creamy layer of white foam on top.

S - Nice pronounced citrus on the nose with orange and pineapple being the dominant aroma.

T - Spicy sweet grapefruit, grapefruit rind, peppery spice, pineapple, spicy citrus,

M - Big body and very soft with dryness on the back of the palate.

O - This is a pretty fantastic beer. Well worth a try - recommended.

A: Strong glass consuming display of macro-effervesce fills the vessel with a density and excitement like no other. A deep tangerine orange colored body is shows ghost hazing on the other side. The head was thin, dull white, and was fairly quick to collapse. A decent thick band lace ring remains. The tangerine haziness was perhaps the strong point here.

S: Tons of sweet peaches and pineapple fruitiness arrive on the nose. Mangoes, juicy apricot, with a mixture of dank oranges and lime. Wet and fresh scents are of really good strength with a lasting appeal. Some cantaloupe and white grapes round out the experience.

T: Funky and semi-tart oranges and pineapple compose the flavor. Dank fruit, peaches and breakfast fruit of cantaloupe along with some white grapes. Gentle hop leaves, semi-dry tease the tongue. Pineapple orange, are semi-dry wit hsome wet pine hopping. Crisp, sharp and aggressive on the tongue, the carbonation and sting is unrelenting.

M: Medium body, spicy hops and dank tropical teases the tongue. Smooth grain juice character.

O: A nicely flavored NE IPA that had just the right amount of dry hop finish as to balance and not try to outdo the sweet start. Perhaps the crown jewel here is the mouthful and laser sharp and focused carbonation and delivery. Outstanding drinkability, crisp, with a great initial start and finish that leaves you with a lasting impression. At one point I thought I was tiring of the style, having focused so much time and attention that is hard to avoid, and its very rare I am left impressed considering the variety and quantity I have endured.

16oz can purchased from the fridge as a single for $4.50. Canned on 7/31/2020, so this is 11 1/2 weeks (almost 3 months) old.

Look: Very hazy orange hue. Ultimately, a very thin, compact white head remains. A bit of yeast/protein sediment on the bottom of the glass.

Smell: Has a very nice aroma - full of citrus and juiciness and some secondary green hop notes. Lots of orange and grapefruit juice, some pineapple, mango, and papaya. The nose is giving off vibes that there will be some acidity and/or tanginess. This beer certainly smells the part of a juice bomb.

Taste: Taste follows the nose for the most part. Up front, lots of orange juiciness, some tanginess. The beer finishes a bit flat though in terms of flavor (not carbonation). The finish lacks character, crispness, oomph - there is a moderate bitterness, a bit peppery, and some chalkiness. For me, it's just lacking something to elevate itself and this could be due to the fact that the can is not that fresh. Upside is that it is quite drinkable and not easy to detect the alcohol in this 8% ABV DIPA.

Feel: The body is medium - not too thin or thick and it has a slightly oily mouthfeel. Moderate carbonation.

Overall: A nice effort and it delivered on what was advertised. The finish is smooth; I just found it to be a bit boring. I think that I was just a bit disappointed because I wanted it to be something different so that I would have enjoyed it more. I find it very hard to find a DIPA that is as juicy and refreshing and delicious as many of the juicy single pale ale or IPAs that I have had. I thought that this one had potential based on the nose, but I was a bit disappointed with the taste.

From the can: This is a Double Dry-Hopped hazy New England Style IPA carefully built to offer juicy aroma, notes of fresh citrus and mango, and smooooth balanced finish. Some sediment is normal. DRINK FRESH!! Made for PA by Penn Staters

 

 

 

 

good but not nearly my favorite from this super solid brewery