Hazing Face
Benchtop Brewing Company

 

 

 

No canned on date. Poured into a Duvel tulip.

A: Hazy murky gold with 1-2 finger off-white frothy head with good retention and solid lacing.

S: Guava, melon, and leafy hop aromas

T: Flavor is weaker than the aroma with more vegetal, celery flavor. Some melon and tropical fruit come through but muted. Low bitterness and mild yeast esters.

M: Fairly light in body and dry finish.

O: Not my favorite Benchtop beer but it may be more of a Galaxy problem with me.

There's no date on this can. There's a spot where previous dates have been stamped, but nothing is here.

Appearance: The body is a pale straw gold color. It looks very hazy, but fuzzy shapes and moving shadows are visible through the occluding haze. The head is white and frothy but shorter in stature. It retains its short head pretty well, leaving a sloped stucco-like wall of lacing as it gently recedes.

Aroma: It smells like garlic and vinyl tubing which is greatly off-putting.

Taste: Up front there is garlic. Towards the middle there is a bit of bay leaf. The aftertaste is freezer-burn and iceberg lettuce. It isn't appealing in the slightest. There is an odd powdered chocolate character in the aftertaste. Long after drinking the beer there is a mint character which is more interesting than the beer when drinking it. There is a light and lingering astringency which is a bit unpleasant when drinking this beer.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation feels good but the beer has a low drinkability due to its lackluster flavor and aroma profiles. There is a minty bitterness to the beer that is okay. A light and seemingly powdery texture to the beer which, added to a somewhat odd bitterness, makes it unpleasant to drink.

Overall: The beer isn't that great and it certainly isn't something to recommend. The mint character in the aftertaste is somewhat rewarding but there is nothing in the aroma or flavor of this beer, while drinking it, that complements the mint character. The can states that this is a "GALAXY DOUBLE DRY HOPPED" beer. It's interesting but not overly enjoyable. I would only recommend it to people looking to experiment with the possibilities of aroma and flavor in the proposed galaxy hop beer, or those who want to test the breadth and width of Benchtop's capabilities. As a whole the beer just isn't very fun or enjoyable, but it feels awkwardly well made.

Pours a hazy yellow with soapy head.

Smell is fairly juicy, with notes of oranges, passionfruit and some grass.

Taste is crisp and refreshing, light and fruity. Notes of mango and oranges and a mild bitterness. Very easy to drink.

Mouthfeel is thin to medium, well carbonated.

Overall, a terrific APA, very refreshing.

L: Poured from a tallboy can to a pint glass. Had a yellow-orange color and a cloudy consistency. There was a half inch of foamy, somewhat long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: A sweet and fruity aroma of hops, citrus and tropical fruits, malt, and a resiny quality.

T: Tasted of a decent amount of hops (average for the style), light malt notes, lots of citrus fruit (orange, mostly), mild grassy notes, and some tropical fruit (passion fruit). This flavor has more in common with an IPA than an APA, but that's not a problem. It's light sweet, and quite well-balanced. It's equal parts hops and fruit elements. Tasty.

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

O: A completely likable and well made APA. Well worth a try.

Poured from a 16oz can into a Trillium IPA glass.

Look is a hazy yellow with a bright white head.

Aroma is a bright herbal citrus.

Taste is bright lemon with a little earthy bitterness at the end. Feel is a little flat.

Delicious sipper beer.

 

 

 

From a growler, pours a bright, light orange. Two fingers of white foam. Nice and hazy.

Smell and taste have tropical fruit, grapefruit and earthy herbs. Solid bitterness. Feel is smooth with good prickly carbonation. Really good beer.

Can dated 11/21:
Pours a multi-hued yellow/gold/amber, with a haziness that dulls the overall body color. Head doesn't build up too high, but rings the glass for the entire pour, providing sparse spots of lacing.

Nose isn't powerful, but has a nice tropical fruity/floral aspect to it. Light greenness to the tart tropical notes that blossoms with warmth into a little tart flesh of mango.

The taste has a bit of that same light tart tropical flesh fruit, but it does fight through the grain (the presumed haze-producing oat or wheat). This is a pale ale, so the hops don't need to be powerful, though the countering aspects are more raw than soimply being what is extracted from the grain. So the balance is there, but the non-hop flavors aren't the most appealing kinds to me. The thickness they provide do help this beer feel a little smoother (and more viscous) than a more traditional pale ale, though.

This had a similar profile to the Proven Theory I had by them - just lighter. I might've actually enjoyed this just a tad more, as it felt a little better overall.

I'm trying this at the brewery. It poured a hazy yellow with white head that is leaving a spotty lace. The scent had hints of tropical ripe fruit. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink finish slightly bitter and clean. The mouthfeel is lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall this a great beer.

 

 

Straw color with mild opacity. Subtle aroma, citrus upfront and hints of grass. Taste is juicy at first, lots of orange. Dials back down to an earthy and floral back end. Light carbonation gives it a moderate feel. Solid beer from this brewery, definitely going to visit and try some others.

Poured a light cloudy yellow body with good head and an aroma that is acidic and orange juice quality. Bitter, biting sharp acidity that is almost cutting but balances with a OJ/grapefruit/tangerine like sweetness that complements the sharp finish and is a very easy to drink and enjoyable beer.

Very nice beer has great aroma and finish. Perfect hop profile and especially nice paired with right food.

Enjoyed this multiple times at the brewpub and in a crowler at home. Delightfully crushable throughout.

Pale golden color with good lacing of white head. Tropical citrus aromas to start. Nice grapefruity flavor with a dry and clean finish that keeps me wanting another sip. Subdued malt and sweetness, letting the hop flavor and light bitter take the front.

Could...and will...drink this all day.