Nectar of Aristaeus - Strawberry Cream Candy
River Styx Brewing Company

Acclimated to 49°F and poured properly into an IPA glass.

Pours a mostly clear, somewhat dark orangey gold with a hint of pink, with a 4 finger, very very light head. Nice colors.

Initial aroma is floral and crisp, with a little sweetness. I can tell there's strawberry and that it's definitely real strawberries and the whole fruit. A little hoppiness is present but goes somewhat unnoticed. After agitating the hoppiness comes forward and the lactose makes itself known.

Initial taste is strawberry juice, followed by orange juice, followed by the 2 merging on the back and sides of the tongue, a slight hoppiness and bitterness transpiring in the middle. Grapefruit also becomes noticeable right after the strawberry and lasts into the aftertaste. The fruitiness is immediately very apparent and pleasurable, a nice sour note occuring late in the tasting. This is like drinking half IPA half juice. Getting into it I pick up on what I think is a milky taste, but any sweetness imparted by lactose I feel is likely covered up by the fruit. Further in and it gets dryer. Noteworthy is that I have always had trouble detecting vanilla, and can't taste any here. I was expecting more of an IPA hoppy taste but it is actually balanced nicely, although a little more may have been nice.

Mouthfeel is very slightly thin, but it's very much made for by the fact that it's smooth and creamy. The carbonation is frothy like we love it to be. This one flows in the mouth very nicely, and it covers the tongue in a pleasant way.

Likely to buy again, very enjoyable.

The Nectar Beers are a series of "Milkshake" IPAs - River Styx Brews them more like lighter hopped ales. The hops are not over powering, allowing the flavors of the adjuncts to come forward.