Double IPA
City Lights Brewing Co.

i thought this was pretty good, along with the coconut porter its the first i have had from these guys. honey colored and only lightly clear, heady and sparkling with carbonation. it smells a little sweet, west coasty, resinous and oily, weed-like in the nose, some floral honey and vegetal bitterness to the hops, at once mellow and intense. there is a lot of fruit to the hops too, pineapple and candied orange and lemongrass, fresh for sure, and robustly proportioned. i usually dislike any sweetness in this style, but here i appreciate the malt richness underneath all the hops. it has a honey note, enough body to support all the hops and alcohol, enjoyable and balanced. the booze is a little prominent for my tastes, it might be a better beer in th 8% abv range without that so exposed, but i also like its wintery heft mixed with summery hop vibes. i couldnt drink many of these, but for a single beer i thought it was quite good, very round with only moderate bitterness. i will look forward to drinking some more beers from these guys, this was tasty!

L: The glass fills brilliant copper amber permeated by streams of rapidly rising bubbles under a 1" off-white blanket of foam with good retention

S: smells like citrus, tropical fruit, melon and berry with a trace of onion and fresh grass, light alcohol, and a hint of dank and caramel

T: A melange of fruit flavors rolls over the tongue with tropical fruit, citrus, berries and lemon leading the charge

F: very creamy with a medium body and slightly below medium carbonation. The alcohol is mildly warming but not hot or harsh.

O: nice job developing the fruit flavors from the hops

Pours slighty hazy with a rich amber color, with a wispy head that dissipates quickly. The smell is of muddled hops; mainly earthy, grassy, burnt citrus. The taste is cloyingly sweet with a bitter finish of muddled hops that match the aroma. The mouthfeel is heavy, malty, and boozy. Overall, it is not my favorite offering from the brewery and I think the beer shows some promise if they tweaked the recipe/execution so that it doesn't taste under attenuated and cloyingly sweet.

Poured out of a 16 oz. can; clear, golden amber. Thin head; little to no lacing. Amazing aromas of tropical fruit -- esp. pineapple, but also mango and some grapefruit -- as you pop the can open.
First sip is particularly tasty and mouth watering. Rich caramel malts balanced by a backdrop of complex hops flavors.
Alcohol content is the down side. The beer is heady, and you soon feel that effect. Yet so tasty you want more, like a treat.
Drink responsively. I still give it a massively 《outstanding》 rating.
~ Amended Apr.24, 2018.