Double Islands
BKS Artisan Ales

(review from November 2022) Another stellar 2x NE/NZ ipa from BKS w/thick haze, good balance/aroma, great palate heft & a big fruity/citrusy/juicy/slightly earthyish flavor & lingering aftertaste. Smooth fooler of an 8.5%er with a punch that sneaks up on you.

 

A - Pours a hazy pale orange, almost opaque, but with just a hint of transparency. Off-white head is dense and fat, fading to a persistent thick cap of foam. Lacing is extensive on the glass wall.

S - Grass, spice and tropical fruit. The hop notes suggest resin, fruit notes of papaya and slightly over-ripe citrus. A subtle but present alcohol warmth.

T - Follows the nose, with tropical fruit and tangerine moving toward grapefruit, while the malts connect with the spice and vegetal notes, suggesting a coarse bread and a bit of savoriness. There's a bit of pithiness in the finish.

M - Brisk carbonation, a bite of acidity, and a dry, rounded close. The resin in the flavor does not transfer to a build on the tongue, which is impressive.

O - A lush, lovely NEIPA built to deliver a tasty, big brew without being overwhelming or unbalanced. Solid.

Pours completely hazy, a yellowish-gold; a moderately-sized head forms and collapses after a few minutes. The aroma is a mix of herbs and tropical citrus. The taste has a good amount of melon up front, with a more herbal bitterness showing up shortly thereafter. Finishes with a lingering tangy bitterness.

Can purchased from the brewery 7/10/2022.

Pours a solid opaque pale orange with two and a half fingers of fluffy white foam. Aroma is grassy, tropical fruits, and mild medicinal hops. It has that tropical fruit sweetness, but the grounded grassy and medicinal hop qualities to balance it out. Leans slightly sweet though. Bitterness is null. Flavor profile leans more into sweetness, bringing across notes of papaya, grapefruit, orange, and guava. Grassy hops come in as an after thought, bringing a little balance between hops, but allowing the tropical fruits to dominate the show. Some banana sneaks into the back. Mouth feel is pillowy soft and creamy with a very fine grist to it. Thickness is medium. Overall, notable play between hop notes, but it's tropical fruits otherwise. The pillowy, creamy texture really gives this ones its boost.

Served in a 15.5oz Spiegelau tulip from a 16oz can.