Black Raspberry Cream Pop
Decadent Ales

Canned 3/

Coming directly off the not-very-good Double Orange Cream Pop from Decadent. Hopefully the black raspberry variant fairs better, but now I’m not so confident. Whatever, let’s just get into it

Pours a cloudy pale pink with 2 fingers of pink tinted white head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves minimal lacing

The raspberry really gives a nice vibe in the nose, though it is still a bit one dimensional. I’m picking up on aromas of tart raspberry, crackery malt, lemon juice, juicy blackberry, and light vanilla

It isn’t exactly one dimensional in taste, but I wouldn’t really call it IPA, or even NEIPA for that matter. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting lemon juice, jammy raspberry, white grape, crackery malt, and very light grassy hops. The swallow brings notes of raspberry sorbet, earthy vanilla, bready malt, lemon zest, and blackberry

A light body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a crisp and juicy beer. Finishes mostly dry with a nice vanilla character to balance the fruit

This one isn’t great by any means, but it’s way better than the Double Orange. Way easier to drink, and even pretty tasty despite not having much hop character

These guys do a great job with experimental beers for a double IPA of course you're going to get some hop bitterness but you get a nice dosage of raspberry and just a very mild twinge of vanilla beans. Goes down smooth and for the right price easy to session. Not one of my favorite decadent beers but not bad overall!

 

 

Limited head... Color is a pale slightly hazy goldish copper... Big nose of fresh raspberries and vanilla... There is something else funky on the nose that I can’t pinpoint... Raspberry, vanilla and a mild hoppiness... Medium bodied and chalky... Interesting and unique but not likely something i’ll Seek out again...

 

-Blackberries, raspberries, Madasgascar vanilla bean.

A: A beautiful soft pink grapefruit pour has orange-sherbet highlights in the vessel with a deep and dense nature. A two finger quartz white head is solid and firm atop leaving stratified ring lacing down the vessel walls. Quick moving macro-bubbles move within.

S: Fruity blackberries and raspberries are fresh and juice like on the nose. Rich vanilla cream and sherbet along with some tropical juices. Peaches and pineapple are prominent as well with a very good awareness factor.

T: Orange-sherbet like flavor, with some vanilla and cream like highlights. Juicy berry fruitiness of raspberries and blackberries, a bit of sour tropical hops, tart peaches, grapefruit and melon. Some wet floral hops and citrusy orange finish out.

M: Soft creamy vanilla mouthful, good carbonation and medium body.

O: Orange-sherbet and berry fruity ipa with some cream and vanilla touches. Smooth and overall a very good blend, really tasting like a raspberry vanilla cream pop.A novelty? maybe, but still offers a very good flavored ipa that pushed the boundaries of uniqueness and a very good welcome from dare I say the over saturation of N.E.I.P.A style drinks. Nice to see some originality, and innovation. Good drink-ability, first impression and lasting to the finish. Not sure I can do multiples or go through a six pack, but a very good, unique and stand alone dessert style like beer with a juicy hop presence and unique flavors.

 

L: Poured from a tallboy can to a snifter glass. Had a brownish-yellow color and a very cloudy consistency. There was an inch and a half of foamy, very long-lasting head. Fantastic lacing.

S: A subtle aroma of hops, malt, berries, and vanilla.

T: Tasted of a some malt (more pronounced than usual in a DIPA), a tinge of vanilla, a decent amount of hops (less than expected, though), and a fair shot of berries (blackberries, raspberries). An interesting flavor that gets better as you go along. The berries aren't as featured at first, but it mellows out and gets better. Not too hoppy, not too sweet.

F: A decent amount of carbonation with a dry finish. Medium-bodied.

O: In general, a well done, easy to drink beer. Worth a look.

 

 

 

 

On draft, Loosa Brews, AL.

Pours a cloudy pink hued brown color.. not the most appealing. Thin head of foam that sits thinly on top and leaves heavy lace all over the inside of the glass.

The nose is a combination of raspberry, bitter citrus peel, and vanilla. It’s not bad, but together it’s a little bit odd.

Lots of hops break through, more than I wanted or expected from this beer. The fruity berry comes out along with subtle hints of vanilla sweetness, but not enough to combat the bitterness from the hops and citrus that comes out. UPDATE: Definitely improves as it warms.

The mouthfeel on this is the best part. Creamy, smooth, medium carb. Slight warmth and stickiness in the finish.

 

 

 

Appearance - Pours hazy and kind of orange-pinkish in color with an off-white, near finger width head. Fair retention results in a thin, consistent surface with a decent buildup around the edges. Good lacing with broken webbing, lines and small spotting.

Smell - Prominent mosaic hop aroma with citrus, pine and herbal notes. Only hints of berry, much less 'vanilla cream'.

Taste - Citrus pith bitterness upfront and throughout, with lesser notes of berry, pine, vanilla and hints of creamy sweetness. That sweetness fades in the finish, leaving almost nothing but citrus pith and pine bitterness in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Near full in body with low-to-moderate carbonation. Creamy texture upfront before a dry, slightly harsh finish.

Overall - Good beer, but to me what's advertised doesn't match the experience. You see Raspberry Cream Pop on the label, and in the description says it's a mosaic hopped brew mixed with berry juice, vanilla and sugars, you wouldn't expect it to be as bitter as it is. But it is. I would rate it higher if it was marketed more truthfully, but this hardly a 'raspberry cream pop'. It's also not the smoothest drinking DIPA.

Quality is fine, technique is fine, recipe is fine. But the allure of black raspberries, Mosaic hops, exotic sugars and vanilla piled high on hazy IPA is just too much to dismiss. Decadent Ales simply make imperial IPAs that are truly decadent.

Reasonably hazy and set in a peachy mauve austere, the frothy ale simply swirls with an abundance of black raspberries and a hint of cream that suggests a hop scented fruit smoothie. A light herbal character and tropical nuances reinforce a more beery notion before its taste comes with cream candy, cobbler and a hint of caramelized sugars.

As the flavors trek right along the middle palate, a slow fade of malt sweetness leads to a standout flavor of all-things-berries. A robust taste seemingly of blueberry, raspberry, blackberry and with a tang of cranberry precedes a hop filled flavor of passionfruit, grapefruit and pineapple that rounds out the flavors on the middle palate. An herbal and peppery late taste comes way of black tea, sassafras, fresh spruce tips and chive with a balance of sweet cream.

Medium bodied but lessening its malty weight with a light berry acidity and the mild tangy vinous nature of the hops, the beer trends malty dry with a spice of gin radiating from a firm alcohol spice. A linger of berry juices, skins and seeds aid the balance while keeping the taste succulent and irresistible.