Champions' Day
Eastern Market Brewing Co.

Really enjoyed this one. First of all, drinks way below 9.5%, but doesn't shy away from a spicy, rindy citrus (and I'd have to imagine alcohol punches up this effect), so on the finish, you're getting a break from the fruit flavors; a nice crisp finish for such a large beer. In this way, I guess it's also anti-sweet, which I like. Still, giving biiig citrus, grapefruit, allusions to tart, dry, gets a great pillow from the dynamic malt bill. EMBC are becoming the best brewery in Detroit very fast.

16 ounce crowler into tulip glass, filled on 4/26/2019. Pours opaquely hazy deep golden amber/light orange color with a 1 finger dense and rocky off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Thick foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big red grapefruit, tangerine, orange juice, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, mango, melon, berries, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, white bread dough, toasted biscuit, light honey, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/fairly earthy hops, fruity yeast, and bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big red grapefruit, tangerine, orange juice, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, mango, melon, berries, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, white bread dough, toasted biscuit, light honey, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Light pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of red grapefruit, tangerine, orange juice, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, mango, melon, berries, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, white bread dough, toasted biscuit, light honey, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/fairly earthy hops, fruity yeast, and bready malt flavors; with a fantastic malt/bitterness balance, and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is fantastic. Slight lingering resins/rinds through the glass. Minimal warming alcohol for 9.5%. Overall this is an outstanding NEDIPA! All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/fairly earthy hops, fruity yeast, and bready malt flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the big ABV, with the mildly bitter/drying finish; amazingly soft feel. Fantastic MI Centennial/Chinnook profile. Super juicy, and fairly dank/earthy hops with fruity yeast; and a perfectly balanced wheat/oat/malt backbone. Light residual sweet with lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and impressive spot on style example. Not overly sweet or bitter either way.