Juicy Thoughts
Benchtop Brewing Company

There doesn't appear to be a date on the can.

Appearance: The body has a yellow gelatin appearance where it is nearly opaque but light is visible in the depths of the glass. It has a very large, fluffy, white head. The head has very good retention and thick lacing with large lace-like holes.

Aroma: There is a pleasant room aroma that the beer emanates which has a kind-of tangerine character that is reminiscent of a powdered sugar sweet aroma. Closer to the surface of the beer, it has notes of tangerine, garlic, and rye cracker. The aroma is pretty strong and it smells good. The tangerine aroma is the strongest scent.

Taste: Up front it has a sweet orange flavor which is very nice. Towards the middle of the palate it picks up some pithy bitterness but maintains an orange-like note mixed with a touch of ruby red grapefruit juice flavor. It finishes with a bitter grapefruit flavor. It isn't a very complex beer but it has a very pronounced citrus character which is strong and unmistakable.

Mouthfeel: The body is medium-textured with a light slickness. Hop bitterness is medium to medium-high depending on the sip. The bitterness doesn't always match the rest of the beer. Carbonation feels good.

Overall: As a whole it is an excellent beer. It is New England Style Double IPA although the can does say "DOUBLE INDIA PALE ALE." The can states that it is "MADE WITH BARLEY MALT WHEAT MALT PILSNER MALT FLAKED WHEAT FLAKED OATS GALAXY HOPS STRATA HOPS." The beer has a very fresh hop flavor and a nice citrus character. The title "JUICY THOUGHTS" is very accurate. I would highly recommend it and I would buy it again.

L: Poured from a growler to a snifter glass. Had a dull orange color and a cloudy consistency. There was a half inch of foamy head that lasted an average amount of time. Not much lacing, though.

S: A solid aroma of hops, citrus fruit, malt, and tropical fruit.

T: Tasted of a small amount of malt (mostly in the finish), a moderate amount of hops (not over the top), some citrus fruit (orange, in particular), and tropical fruit (mango). This is almost a typical NE IPA flavor: Fruity, juicy, sweet, with just enough hops. Extremely well-balanced and effervescent.

F: A good amount of carbonation with a creamy, smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: A well made, easy to drink NE IPA. This is a good beer for the summer.

 

I was lucky enough to have a good friend bring me a crowler of this beer to drink. This was my first Benchtop beer, and I was impressed for such a new brewery to be putting out this level of quality. The beer reminded me a lot of Wicked Weed's Freak of Nature.

The pour from the crowler yielded a nice light bronze body, and appropriate soft white head. The beer has a nice tropical, hoppy aroma going on with some peaches and mango type scents. Very pleasant drinking beer. Upfront the hops are well integrated. The back end of the taste is a little more hoppy, but that is most likely because this crowler was so fresh. The body balances the hops well, and has a nice malt backbone without being overbearing.

 

Poured a cloudy orange body with large head and a dirty, citric aroma. Juicy tropical fruit sweetness balances with a soapy and zesty hop bite that finishes clean and bitter. Not much going on but what is going on is good.