Cloud Machine
Bad Shepherd Beer Company / Black Sheep Burrito and Brews

 

 

Although I've been lurking for years, I saw this local beer with no reviews and felt I had to review it.

A: It's quite pretty. Gold to copper, opaque, not a huge head, but it was poured smoothly from a growler. (Edit: on the next pour, I intentionally agitated the beer, and ended up slurping foam as it started spilling into my floor. Great lacing, and head really helped with the aroma.) I can only think of two cloudy IPA's from WV, the other being Six-Legged Frog IPA from Stumptown Ales in Davis.

S: Juicy. This is my second growler, and I feel like there has to be a good but of Amarillo in there. With Amarillo hops comes what I always think of as a garlic or onion pungent. It's still very tropical, loaded with pineapple, orange, and citrus pith flavor. There is a hint of straw, but I think that's from the hops and not the grain.

T: Again, juicy. I've not had any of the "signature" cloudy IPA's, but I can't imagine they're able to cram much more of the flavors I love into their offerings. Even if it's really more a description of mouthfeel, you can't discuss the taste without including the creaminess. Something about cloudy IPA's helps mask the bitterness and acidity to me, which means I don't get hopmouth as bad lol. It's a tropical bomb without the weird coating on your palate. The creaminess does linger, though, much like an Orange Julius/Creamsicle. I'm not at all saying this is the best beer I've had, but I can't name a single thing I'd change, or a single thing to complain about.

F: Mmmmmmm...it's just so incredibly smooth. Not a watered-down, cheap "smooth." It's pleasing. It feels like milk, although I don't want that to be taken literally. It's soothing to your throat, while most IPA's are a bit astringent. It's like a melted Creamsicle. I'm hoping they achieved this without adding anything besides hops, yeast, and barley.

Overall, it's a delicious beer. When Charleston Brewing changed hands, and their head brewer moved on to Fat Head's, I was afraid they'd never produce another good beer. This is the first offering I've had from their predecessor, Bad Shepherd (the one in WV, not the one in NZ), and I'm genuinely impressed. It seems to include all of the modern hop staples that you'd expect (guessing Mosaic, Citra, and Amarillo) and in perfect quantity. I could honestly drink this day after day if it was readily available. I think this will instead be a limited offering, with their staple being The Loud IPA.

Also worth adding, I had hoped I'd get to rate it on a percentage scale. That's what I use to check a beer quickly when I'm in store. This beer is every bit as good as anything I've had in 91-94% range for American IPA's.

Hope this helped! If you see it on your menu, grab a pint!