Hazy IIPA (Version 5)
Untitled Art

 

 

 

 

 

Onto New Brewery Sunday with this “Hazy IIPA” from Untitled Art in collaboration with Narrow Gauge. I’ve not had any beers from the latter.

An 8% Nelson DIPA.

Look: The beer pours an opaque golden amber color. No light coming through here. The initial head is gone, with sporadic bubbles on top of the beer and a thin ring of bubbles around the edge. No visible carbonation. I’d like to see more head, but with “Hazy IIPA” printed all over the label, I’m pleased with the look.

Smell: Tropical fruit. Sweet and juicy pineapple. More of an earthy sweetness. I have not had it in a really long time, but this seems to remind me a bit of durian. I’m trying to pinpoint the other fruit aromas and that makes the most sense to me and it’s the sweet, funky fruitiness that takes me there. I had a candy once with the fruit that also reminds me of this beer. So yes, a little funky and footy, but super delicious. No indications of 8% ABV.

Taste: I’m really loving the flavor profile of this beer. Tropical fruit, including the pineapple, mango, durian. It’s sweet and earthy. Zero indications of 8% ABV. The beer slightly dries out on the finish.

Feel: Medium carbonation, super smooth and creamy with a semi-dry finish.

Overall: Absolutely love this beer. Single hop Nelson with a lot going on. Hits on all aspects but none of the issues faced by some breweries trying to make a NEIPA and forcing the effort. Just a delicious, well crafted beer.

L - 1-finger fizzy offwhite head recedes rapidly, leaving behind a glowing orange body.

S - orange juice, pineapple, herb.

T - orange flesh, pineapple, lime zest. Slight sourness in the middle, with some cheesiness and a touch of dank. Low bitterness. Low sweetness. Low booziness.

F - medium-full, creamy body with noticeably lower carb than usual.

O - I’ve never experienced Nelson hops that tasted this tropical!

 

 

 

 

Poured into a Teku glass. A very hazy bright yellow color with a modest white head. The foam settled fairly quickly but left a small persistent cap. Aroma was medium-intensity with oranges, white grapes, and some herbal dankness. Nelson hops on the palate with a white wine quality, dank resin, and some citrus. Medium bitterness. Medium bodied with a soft feel. Overall a tasty NEIPA.

 

16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 5/16/2019. Pours opaquely hazy deep golden amber/light orange color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big tangerine, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, mango, honeydew melon, passion fruit, red apple, gooseberry, white grape/wine, citrus peel/zest, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, biscuit dough, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/tropical/fairly earthy hops and bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big tangerine, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, mango, honeydew melon, passion fruit, red apple, gooseberry, white grape/wine, citrus peel/zest, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, biscuit dough, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Light pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of tangerine, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, mango, honeydew melon, passion fruit, red apple, gooseberry, white grape/wine, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, biscuit dough, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/fairly earthy hops and bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance; and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready/grainy, fairly sticky, and lightly resinous/rindy mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 8%. Overall this is an excellent NEDIPA. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/fairly earthy hops and bready malt flavors; very smooth and pretty refreshing to drink for the ABV, with the mildly bitter/resinous/drying finish; great soft feel. Great Nelson Sauvin showcase. Very juicy, vibrant, and fairly dank/earthy hops; with a great balanced wheat/oat/malt backbone. Light residual sweetness with lingering resin dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and impressively well made style example. No complaints.