Sixpence None the Richer
BlackStack Brewing

 

 

16 oz can no date (because this brewery rarely date stamps their products) into a Duvel tulip glass.
L: SRM 4 pours a hazed deep orange gold with a rocky 1" white head that slowly recedes to a thin skin and edge foam, low carbonation, a few soft dark chunks of sediment settles at the base, displays light drink-side lacing.
S: Pineapple, grapefruit, citrus zest, honey, tropical & floral.
T: Sweet tropical fruits, distant papaya, a hint of mango, orange & mixed citrus, a touch of melon, truly a fruit salad taste overall with a suggestion of graham cracker in the center. It is moderately sweet with a hint of alcohol with warming.
F: Smooth and fairly soft medium-heavy mouthfeel with a rich & firm center and a slightly chest-warming long and lightly sticky finish that is a bit drying over time. Becomes lightly chalky towards the end of the glass.
O: A fairly rich & full-flavored fruity beer that goes to the head after just a few drinks. It sweetens the mouth entirely but is not cloying. Just rich and slightly dense. A fantastic sipper that is highly flavorful with every drink. The ABV is felt more than tasted. It is outstanding to world-class in its style.

 

Not quite what I expected from something purported as a "Quadruple IPA". Very hazy and Toppling-Golliath-coded, looks and smells like a thick glass of orange/pineapple juice and drinks as easily as one too - quite a feat considering the 12% ABV. Practically no alcohol burn or boozy notes here, if I wasn't feeling decently buzzed after just a few sips I'd be inclined to disbelief. The booze does make itself a bit more known as it warms up, but is still impressively hidden for such a heavy brew.

Not a whole lot in way of a malt backbone either, which is surprising (in a good way) as I typically find triple+ IPAs to be more on the malty side which is not always my favorite. No, this is decidedly a hazy IPA in the vein of a King Sue, or Stone's recent 'Enjoy By 10.31.24', just cranked up to 11. Tropical fruit galore, and very little hop bitterness or dankness is present.

Can't say I was completely blown away, but this is a damn impressive beer. At $7.99 for a single 16oz can I might hesitate to pick one up again, but I certainly don't regret giving it a go and it will be quite tempting should I ever see one on the shelf again.

I'd never heard of BlackStack before this, but they've found a new fan in me! Excited to see what else they have up their sleeve.

From a undated 16oz can.

This beer looked like a murky juice tornado when pouring it into the glass. Looks almost pulpy. Juicy looking as heck. There's a thick 2 finger white head. The head retention is amazing. There's some beautiful clingy lacing on the glass.
Aroma is a tropical juice bomb. Just a metric ton of pineapple aroma. I'm getting hints of mango, orange, and grapefruit.
Taste - The tropical flavor seems to start off somewhat mellow. The hops start kicking in with a good hit of pineapple up front with some orange and grapefruit notes. The finish is a nice sweet mango flavor that clings and lingers in my throat. There's also a faint dank hint on the backside.
Thick, smooth, full, clingy body. Juicy feeling as heck. There's no burn in this beer at all, and doesn't drink like 12%.
This is a tasty beer and I'm so glad I picked it up.