Nectaron Squirrel
Benchtop Brewing Company

 

Fairly decent NEIPA. Poured from a 16 oz. can into a pint glass, this beer pours a hazy light-yellow standard NEIPA color with a medium sized foamy head. Better than average head retention and bands of lacing on the glass. Aroma and taste include tropical fruit, citrus and some maltiness. There is very little bitterness here. Mouthfeel is moderately rich, smooth and juicy. Could have used some bitterness to add crispness and character. Pleasant enough brew, I wouldn't turn down another one but I wouldn't seek it out either.

 

I don't see any date listed on the can or the label for this beer.

Appearance: It is a gold colored beer that is very hazy. Although it has a lot of haze, fuzzy dark shadows are visible through the glass. It has a short and fluffy white head. It doesn't have a lot of head retention but it leaves a nice sheet of bubbles on the glass.

Aroma: There is a light bit of garlic and some cabbage. Some mango and passion fruit aroma also comes through. It has a grassy scent. A bit of black pepper.

Taste: Up front there is some bandaid flavor mixed with grain flavor. Towards the middle there is some bandaid mixed with cabbage. It just tastes odd and overall unpleasant. There is a bit of subdued mango in the aftertaste which is the only worthwhile flavor but it isn't enough to save the beer. It has a bit of a grassy finish.

Mouthfeel: It feels light bodied and wet with low overall bitterness. Drinkability is a bit low given the flavor profiles, but it is drinkable.

Overall: Recently a lot of beers that have this odd flavor profile have been cold IPA's. This beer does not mention anything about being a cold IPA, but it is worth noting. The label does say that this is made with both "CITRA HOPS" and "NECTARON HOPS" so that is worth noting as well. As a whole it is pretty lackluster. I decided to review this beer on two different days from the same 4-pack and neither were very good. It isn't a beer I would buy again and it's not one I would recommend.