The Filthy Fifteen
New Anthem Beer Project

 

A: Pours an extremely murky medium to dark golden honey in color with moderate amounts of fine active visible carbonation rising along the edges of the glass and moderate burnt orange + bright orange + bright yellow + dark golden yellow + apricot colored highlights. The beer has a three finger tall dense creamy foamy very light beige head that slowly reduces to a medium to large sized patch of thick film covering a little less than 50% of the surface of the beer surrounded by a large patch of very thin film covering the remainder of the surface of the beer and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of citrus/grapefruit + tropical/papaya + green pepper hops over the top of just shy of moderate aromas of biscuit + pale + wheat + oat malts with light to moderate amounts of sugary sweetness. Hints of bubble gum.

T: Upfront there are just shy of moderate aromas of biscuit + pale + wheat + oat malts with light to moderate amounts of sugary sweetness. That is followed by very light flavors of bubble gum. Finally there are moderate to strong flavors of citrus/grapefruit + tropical/papaya + green pepper hops which impart a light amount of bitterness which fades away pretty quickly leaving lingering moderate papaya + grapefruit hop flavors.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly heavier than moderate amounts of creamy soft/fluffiness with a hint of dryness in the finish.

O: Easy to drink with well hidden alcohol and a pleasantly creamy soft/fluffy mouthfeel. Enjoyable though the green pepper hop flavor/aroma was definitely not expected or something that I have come across in many other IPAs - interesting (not sure that I would encourage more brewers to go for that).

Appearance: Pours a cloudy apricot nectar color with a one finger head; shards and squiggles of lacing

Smell: The green pepper and grapefruit aromas are powerful with the papaya and bubble gum also present underneath

Taste: Grapefruit and green pepper forward with the papaya and bubble gum adding some sweetness; the green pepper lingers, after the swallow

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: I tasted the beer before reading the brewery's description and I was trying to place the unusual flavor lingering in the aftertaste; as I was struggling to define it, I read the description and green pepper nailed it