Take it to the Max Now with Phantasm
American Solera

16oz can picked up at The Beermongers in Portland, OR; first from American Solera
"Double IPA brewed w/ lupomax mosaic hops & phantasm sauvignon blanc grape skins"
Poured into a Baerlic Belgian-style tulip

P cloudy deep gold/orange w/ a 1-2f foamy white head; lots of active carb
N med nose of melon, stone fruit, and some tropical fruits as well
T follows nose w/ lots of juicy fruitiness; sweet tropical notes at the forefront; biscuity malt supports; some green hops in there as well; light alcohol heat in the finish; cohesive and pretty tasty
Mf med-full bodied w/ med carb
O a nicely-executed DIPA; would have again

review date: 08.05.21
can date: 06.21.21

Canned 5/2021 (15 months ago)

Appearance: Pours a mostly hazy (30% clarity) light yellow-golden color with a mild white head. SRM of 6. (3.75)

Aroma: Moderate aromas of ovverripe orange, funky grapefruit, some vinous notes. Slightly funky and earthy.

Flavor: Moderate flavors of orange, sweet pineapple, sweet grape. Apple and orchardfruit, with some apple juice sweetness to finish.

Feel: Medium bodied. Low carbonation. Leans juicy sweet to finish.

Compared to Hoof-Hearted Helmet Nachos 8/16/22: Pours a lighter color, milder head. Milder aromas. More funky grape and apple. Less orange and peach. Juicier.

Overall: I don't know that I've ever drank a beer 15 months old, but picked it up for $1. Slightly funky aromas, but picks up on the flavor for some sweet grape and apple notes. hard to get the Phantasm hop flavor at this age, but I assume it was good. (Rating: 3.74+)

 

cool how many breweries are using phantasm now, i think it does a lot in these modern hazy dry hop brews, but it doesnt seem to do anything for shelf life, not that it ever claimed to, but this was canned back in june, found on a warm shelf, and past its best moments, but its still unique and tasty, and to me seems somewhat more refined than a lot of their other hoppy beer has been. its relatively dense on the pour but super lively, like holds two inches of thick white head the whole time, stays fully effervescent even as i let it warm up some, and is close to dry, really nice mouthfeel here. i get the new zealand white wine right away on the nose, along with copious other hop character from sliced pineapple to honeydew rind, all slightly heavy to me with this much grain, not sweet at all, but sturdy. the flavor has a cool floral aspect, elderflower maybe, along with obvious meyer lemon, lemongrass, key lime, and sativa notes, the phantasm makes the fruitiness pop, and it starts early and stays late, an almost cryo hop vibe to this. i wish it were fresher, some oxidation is set in and it breaks down the best parts of this a little bit, but its easy to see that this was excellent in its prime, as its still pretty good even now. light coconut, peach, and honey notes as it warms, fuller feeling but soft, and relatively clean on the ferment. i still miss the funky beers these guys make, its where they really shine, but this is fun and distinctive, hope to get to try it brand new next time. glad to have these guys in idaho at all...

 

 

 

 

The wine world uses the tannins from grape skins to balance the residual sweetness in wines. The beer world uses the additional spice of hops. So American Solera uses grape skins (phantasm) in hopes to take the balance of beer to a level that hops can't go alone.

Pouring a fairly standard milky gold pour, the off-turbid Take It To The Max releases a creamy white crown while swooning the nose with a host of radiant citrus, tropical, melon, herb and berries. Its creamy sweetness on the front of the tongue is redolent with cereal, light honey, faint caramel, all in a shortcake kind of way.

But the hops reign supreme on the middle palate where a juicy citrus flavor first takes hold. Tangerine, pink grapefruit and lime create a racy citrus impression ahead of a more tropical taste of mango, papaya and passionfruit. Hints of black currant, dank herb, gin-like botanicals and a bitter bite of black tea all align on the late palate for a firm and bitter offset of sweetness.

Medium bodied but registering slightly fuller than standard IPA but moderate for imperial "hazy" ale, the beer finishes on the bitter side of bittersweet with impressions of fruit peels and tea remaining. Any addition of grape skins are largely lost on the flavor profile and only noticed because of the label, Take It To The Max would probably fare equally as well without phantasm.

Pours a white foam head, about one finger thick. Persistent lacing.
Scent: Sweet citrus,
Taste: Hoppy bite with the advertised Phantasm grape skin tones in a smooth, medium-light mouthfeel.
Finish: All remains consistent and blended from first sip to ... hey! I'm near the bottom of the glass.

Pours a very hazy gold with 2 fingers of ivory colored head. Sheets of lacing & very good head retention

S: Mango & green melon

T: Follows the nose, dryness, mustyness from the grapeskins and tangerine up front. Sweet orange, green melon & powdery dryness as this warms, plus lime. Finishes with lime, pomelo & powdery dryness

MF: Medium body, lively carbonation, lovely balance

Well executed, superb drinkability