Better Late Than Never
Offshoot Beer Co.

Thanks to 2beerdogs for this one. 16oz can poured into 12oz goblet. Poured a solidly opaque (zero light gets through) muddy orange color, with about an inch of fluffy white head that had great retention, and good lacing.

A big blast of pineapple hits the nose upon cracking open the can. No real grain or malt scent in the background. Pretty much the same on the tongue, like biting into a slice of pineapple, and no real beer flavors.

The body was a bit fuller than light, but not quite medium. The beer was smooth, finished clean, and had a dry end. Drinkability was good, I finished my pint easily enough, but I would be unlikely to seek out a second one. Overall, this is probably a very good example of the American Orange Ale (I refuse to call them IPAs) that are so popular right now. If you are into that style, this is likely a must try. If you're not the biggest fan, maybe try one if you see it, to satisfy your curiosity, otherwise, you can pass. As always, YMMV.

 

 

 

 

 

Poured into a 16 oz Magnify Snulip glass canned on 4/25/17. Pours a hazy orange yellow with a massive off white head that leaves behind plenty wisps of thick foamy lace.

Smell is guava, passion fruit, mango, pinapple, and grapefruit rind really excellent.

Taste follows tropical upfront guava, papaya, passion fruit, pinapple, and apricot and grapefruit in the finish.

Mouthfeel is bigger than medium, sticky from fresh hops, gentle carbonation, not dry, and excellent drinkability.

Overall thsee West Coast Brewerys are making in credible NE DIPAS. Very surprised by this only getting an 85.

 

Hazy glass of OJ with a fluffy off white head that faded after a minute and left bands of lacing. Scents of sweet oranges and pine are the strongest with some malty sweetness too. The taste is sweet with citrus and a caramel component with a nice bitter finish. This is a nice tasty, juicy brew.

Type: 16-oz. can
Glass: Beer Nerd tulip
From: Beer Advocate’s heresy22
Price: N/A
Purchased: N/A; Received May 1, 2017
Consumed: May 2, 2017
Reviewed as: New England Double / Imperial IPA
Misc.: Born on April 25, 207

Thanks, Chris!

Originally thought this was an April Fools prank when Chris told me that The Bruery would be making IPAs, let alone hazy ones. Turns out it was true in the form of Offshoot Beer Company. Did not like Fashionably Late, a single IPA which I had the night before, giving it a 3.51. Expecting this one to be better. Can read Mosaic, Vic Secret and Citra. It had me at Mosaic.

Poured a pale hazy color with two fingers of frothy white head. Good looking bubble streams weaving its way up the glass. Very good uneven lacing. Very good retention. (Sight - 4.00)

Mosaic tried to come out blazing with the smell, but something else was working with it. Basically orange juice, creating a 50/50 balance. After some more work got orange blossom, melon, mango and Citra. Better on the nose than Fashionably Late. (Smell - 3.75)

Taste was pretty damn good. Better than the smell for sure. Got bitter orange peel, Citra, Mosaic, mango, melon, guava, hints of red grapefruit, nectarine, juicy peach and orange blossom. (Taste - 4.00)

Medium body. Oily texture. Lively carbonation. Long, juicy finish. (Feel - 4.00)

This was pretty good for the style. Much better than Fashionably Late. (Overall - 4.00)

3.94 | 88 | B+

 

 

Of the offshoot beers I tried at the Bruery 9th anniversary party, this one was the best. That said, still somewhat underwhelming given the hype and price.

Pours a hazy golden color, thin 1/3" white head. Decent usual suspects in the aroma, tropical fruits and citrus. Nothing too pungent, but still there and enjoyable.

The taste and mouth feel here was thankfully seemingly less bitter than the single ipa. I mean, that is a pretty big style point, so its good they hit that one here at least. The Mosaic and Citra combo is definitely all the rage in 2017, and this one is kind of middle of the road in terms of how much those come out. Its good stuff, but still far from the elite bangers of the NEIPA style (and many of those purported ones are also second tier, i.e. Trillium).

Brew is a dark orange, pulpy, absolutely opaque perfect replica of the NE IPA style. Quite dark in thicker portions of the glass; almost grainy and pulpy during the pour; modest flat white head with good retention and nice lacing.

The nose is, you guessed it, juicy. There's a spicy parsley/oregano/mint aspect; a light, sweet lemon juice and berries component; and the rest is mostly mango, pineapple, and Valencia oranges.

Flavor is similarly juicy: orange, pineapple, mango, banana, raspberries, strawberries (especially on the finish, curiously), and oregano. It really reminds me of one of those orange-mango-banana smoothies, with some berries tossed in. Incredibly juicy and tasty, with just a bit of herbal bite to keep it interesting. The dank notes are really quite restrained, giving it a pungent, earthy undertone, instead of a sickly punch.

Really smooth feel; little hint of the alcohol; lively but very smooth with minimal sting; medium bodied without becoming syrupy.

I'm not a big fan of Vic Secret, but Mosaic and Citra can be wonderful when done right (and consumed at the right age, which isn't necessarily "as fresh as possible!"). Maybe it's just at the perfect age for me, or maybe they've done an amazing job over at Offshoot, but this is really a home run. It still may not be my favorite hop profile, precisely, but it's exceptionally well done overall.