Counterculture
BKS Artisan Ales

 

(review from November 2023) See previous reviews of various versions of Counterculture, this iteration w/good balance/haze/mouthfeel; low hoppiness & a subtle citrusy/fruity/melony/floral kinda flavor & a clean, quick-fading aftertaste.Very quaffable indeed.

 

 

A - Pours a slightly translucent, but mostly opaque milky orange, with a fluffy white head that fades to a rocky cap, with lots of small rope lacing forming up islands of bubbles that curtain the glass.

S - Smash of tropical and stone fruit, citrus and resiny hop notes. The fruit signals tangerine and peach, pineapple and guava.

T - The open is stone fruit, predominantly peach with a bit of plum, that fades into the tangerine and tropical notes of the nose that is joined by a strong banana note, and a soft, quiet finish with just a bit of zest and pith.

M - Moderate carbonation and weight, easily drinkable, and a brisk, acidic close that lingers.

O - This is a fine, fine NEIPA out of BKS. Lovely flavors, great feel, and a refreshing experience overall. Delicious.

Great smooth brew. Lots of tropical aroma on opening. Pours a golden hazy hue. Nice head. Easy drinking, full of flavor. Highly recommended.

 

Pours an opaque deep straw with a moderate off white head. Smells of tropical fruit. The taste is also typical fruit with a little bit of citrus. Medium full mouthfeel. It's a nice easy drinking NEIPA.

 

 

 

 

This beer pours hazy, grapefruit juice in color. An off-white head; moderate levels of delicate lacing. The aroma isn't quite as developed in more recent variants, but is a balanced blend of grapefruit and resin. The taste has a bit more of a piney hop bite than recent variant releases, but it's still well within what's expected for an NEIPA. A good amount of grapefruit and bitter orange comes through as well. Full mouthfeel, finishes with more bitter orangepeel and resin. It's just a bit more than the sum of its parts and I'd like to see more variants in line with the original in the future.

The original Counterculture variant; can purchased from the brewery 4/9/2021.

 

 

 

 

 

Bit of background, BKS produces a handful of NE IPAs with monthly, if not slightly more frequent, releases. This review focuses on both a draft pour and a can served into a Teku from their release at the end of August 2018. Pours a cloudy orange that hasn't quite reached 'murky' just yet, that is, until the final ounces of the can are poured into the glass. At this point, it reaches a murky level of cloudiness. Draft pour is murky from the start. Head formation is a finger in height both from the draft and from the can, although a little more head formation would be easily allowable with a more aggressive pour. Aroma is orange, mango, and tangerine. Flavor profile is orange, mango, tangerine, melon and biscuit malts. It isn't dripping with citrus, maintaining a good balance between hops and malts. Mouth feel is medium-thick, with a light velvetiness that adds to the experience. Making it enjoyable to sip and not just hammer through. Less grainy than other NE IPAs. Draft pour felt a lot heavier and more dense than the glass served from the can. Overall, a solid NE IPA that retains a modest approach. Draft seemed slightly preferable to the can (about 2 weeks old).

Review compromised of a beer served in a Teku from a 16oz can and a 12oz draft pour notes.