Bigg Thaw
Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company

Poured from a can into a pint glass
Appearance – the beer pours a lightly hazed orange-yellow color with a huge and puffy white head. The head has an fantastic retention, fading slowly over time and leaving tons of foamy and streaky lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma is strongest of a tropical fruit and bready smell with the tropical fruit being heaviest of tangerine, papaya, and mango with lighter notes of guava and pineapple. Along with these smells comes a decent showing of a grapefruit hop mixed with notes of lemon and herb.
Taste – The taste begins with a crisp cracker and bready base malt paired with some of the tropical fruits in the nose. Of the tropical fruits tangerine is strongest followed by a bit of mango and some papaya. A grapefruit and herbal hop are present from the start with both getting stronger as the taste advances. All the while the sweet and bready fade some while notes of pine and some light apricot and peach join in. The sweetness is very light, and with a bit more hop and some pepper and hay, one is left with a very crisp and clean, mainly citrusy, but well-balanced taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – the body is super crisp and clean with a moderate carbonation level. For the nice crisp nature of the brew (even at 9 % abv.) the feel is fantastic making for one dangerously easy and refreshing sipper.
Overall – One awesome and crisp, but big and bold IPA. Very well done. I would love to see this one year-round.

 

 

It's a good pour, in other words, not a foam bomb, that puts the entire contents of a pint can into a clear glass liter mug. The pour reveals a brightly light copper-amber colored liquid that's rather translucent. The head is modest and just-off-white in color. The aroma is of piney hops. Likely, the lower brewing temperature produces some of the qualities of a lager and includes them within this ale. The body is light, but it's not thin. It carries some malty backbone and a good hop delivery very nicely. Those hops are sharply piney, yet crisp, rather than resinous. That makes the finish delightfully clean. A bit of the 9% ABV is noticed to a small demerit. There was no glass lacing. Overall, this drinks nicely, albeit with a little kick. Thankfully, it's not overly starched, giving the hops a chance to perform as the dominant taste. It's also light enough going down, it's hard to resist a repeat.

Canned 1/19/23

A bit late to the game, Greater Good is jumping on the Cold IPA trend. Their “Imperial everything” philosophy seems counterintuitive to a new style like this that is meant to be crisp and drinkable, but I’m intrigued to see how they handle it nonetheless. Let’s get into it

Pours a cloudy orange with 3 fingers of soapy off white head that slowly fades to a cap and leaves nice lacing

Despite the elevated alcohol content, the nose is wonderfully bright. I’m picking up on aromas of lemon zest, orange juice, cereal grain, grassy hops, crackery malt, black pepper, and light wildflower honey

It doesn’t have quite the same urgency in taste, which may be a function of its age, but it’s close enough to the aroma that it’s still very good. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting pineapple juice, bready malt, grassy hops, orange zest, black pepper, honey, lemon zest, and light weed. The swallow brings notes of orange zest, crackery malt, herbal hops, lemon zest, black tea, honey, toasted grain, light grass, and black pepper

A medium body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a crisp beer. Finishes mostly dry with a firm bitterness that keeps it refreshing and drinks well below its abv

Even for a can that is almost 3 months old, this is great stuff. I hope they keep this one around!

 

Pours a slightly hazy straw color with a 2F head and heavy lacing.

Smells of malt and slightly dank grassy, floral hops.

Tastes of sweet malt , lemon, pineapple and a bit of cantaloup with a lingering bitter herbal and funky , alcohol warm finish.

Medium body with light carbonation. Oaty smooth and dry mouthfeel.

This is a slightly upfront juicy West Coast IPA that is bitter, wild and boozy in the finish. This is a good complex brew for the adventurous.