Rock Out With Your Hops Out
Kettlehead Brewing Company

 

 

Got in a trade with SawDog505. 16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned in 6/2019. Pours very hazy deep golden amber/light orange color with a 2 finger fairly dense and rocky off white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice dense foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, coconut, blueberry, gooseberry, citrus peel/rind, wood, mint, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, biscuit, light honey/toast, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and bready malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, coconut, blueberry, gooseberry, citrus peel/rind, wood, mint, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, biscuit, light honey/toast, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, coconut, blueberry, gooseberry, citrus peel/rind, wood, mint, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, biscuit, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and no lingering hop astringency after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready/grainy, and fairly sticky/resinous/rindy mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 8%. Overall this is an awesome NEDIPA. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink for the ABV, with the modestly bitter/resinous/drying finish. Nicely soft, and not overly aggressive. Awesome CTZ, Apollo, Southern Passion and Mosaic profile. Extremely juicy, vibrant, dank, and earthy hop balanced complexity; with a great wheat/oat/malt backbone. Light residual sweetness with lingering resin dryness. A really enjoyable offering, and impressively well made style example.

Poured into a 13 oz Snulip glass at the source. Pours a very hazy yellow, with a half finger sticky white head that leaves thick streaks of lace as it slowly settles yielding excellent retention. 4.5

Smell is papaya, honeydew melon, mandarin, and pineapple. 4.75

Taste follows juicy as hell, with little bitterness. Papaya, melon, mandarin, and pineapple. 4.75

Mouthfeel is Yogi bigger than your average beer, soft and sticky, gentle carbonation, and at 8% ABV insanely crushable. 4.75

Overall this is another gem from these guys, juicy as hell and just excellent. 4.5