Lupulin Milkshake with Raspberry Sprinkles
Kettlehead Brewing Company

 

 

 

Got in a trade with SawDog505. 16 ounce can into tulip glass, no can dating. Pours very hazy deep ruby red/pine/orange color with a 2 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big lightly tart/tangy red raspberries, fruit skin/seed, mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, red apple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, watermelon, blueberry, citrus peel/zest, light peppercorn/pine, vanilla, cream, wheat, white bread dough, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of raspberries, citrus/fruity/tropical hops, vanilla, lactose, and bready malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big lightly tart/tangy red raspberries, fruit skin/seed, mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, red apple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, watermelon, blueberry, citrus peel/zest, light peppercorn/pine, vanilla, cream, wheat, white bread dough, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Mild pine, citrus peel/zest, herbal, floral, grassy, spicy bitterness; and fruit tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy red raspberries, fruit skin/seed, mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, red apple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, watermelon, blueberry, citrus peel/zest, light peppercorn/pine, vanilla, cream, wheat, white bread dough, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of raspberries, citrus/fruity/tropical hops, vanilla, lactose, and bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness, and tart/tangy fruit balance; with no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness, tart/tangy fruit, and carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready/grainy, and lightly sticky/acidic/tangy mouthfeel that is great. Minimal lingering resins after the finish. Zero warming alcohol for 7%. Overall this is an excellent fruited milkshake NEIPA. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of raspberries, citrus/fruity/tropical hops, vanilla, lactose, and bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly bitter/tart/tangy/drying finish; great soft feel. Great Mosaic, El Dorado profile. Great balance between juicy/jammy fruit/hops, with light dank/earthy notes; great lactose and wheat/oat/malt backbone. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and impressively well made style example. Thought it was infected at first with the over carbonation/initial aromas; got better as it warmed up. Over carbonation with not detrimental to drink ability at all.

 

Many thanks to SawDog505 for this can!

A - Pink opaque raspberry colored pour with thin pink lacing.

S - Tart raspberry with some funk and tang hit the nose.

T - Raspberry from start to finish, delicate spice, a hint of watermelon in the mix, and ends with a fruity bitterness.

M - Big and full bodied.

O - A very interesting beer. Looking at it initially I expected a very sweet raspberry type of beer but Kettlehead did a very nice job of keeping the sweetness in check as it ends with a nice bitterness. Well done.

 

 

Poured into a 13 oz Kettlehead glass canned on 02/07/19. Pours a very attractive hazy purplish pink with a finger sticky off white head with some pink hues in it and leaves a thick ring of lace behind, very solid retention for the style. 4.5

Smell is fresh berries, vanilla, pineapple, tangerine, and a hint of grapefruit rind. 4.5

Taste follows all the other flavors, but really this beer is all about the berries, maybe a little vanilla and grapefruit bitterness. Really tasty! 4.5

Mouthfeel is bigger than average, plenty of life, soft on the palate, sticky not dry, and at 7% I could crush this all day! 4.75

Overall some don’t love these Milk Shake IPAs brewer with lactose and fruit, I personally am not one of those. Great stuff again from Kettlehead. 4.5