Skunk Zone
Kettlehead Brewing Company

 

 

From 16oz can with no freshness date.

"Now, Skunk Zone, that's a name no one would
self-apply where I come from. But
then, there was a lot about the Skunk Zone
that didn't make a whole lot of sense
to me. And a lot about where it
lived, like- wise. But then again,
maybe that's why I found the place
s'durned innarestin'."

Pours a murky pineapple gold with a cake-like bright white head. Soapy lace after the head falls to a ring.

Scent is tropical fruit, pine, grapefruit and a dank earthy oniony note which I love.

Taste is muddled tropical fruit. Papaya. Green melon. Mint. Undercurrent of spicy, dank oniony garlicky, yes weedy hop notes. Some pine resin. Hints of citrus. Has the tropical fruit and soft mouthfeel of a NEIPA but the resiny bitterness of a West Coast style. As the beer warms the dank notes seem to increase in fullness.

Mouth is very creamy and soft. Finish is bitter but not astringent.

A natural, zesty enterprise and an unusual mix of East and West coast attributes. I love the dank, oniony, garlicky earthy hop profile. If you do too you'll probably enjoy this. Mind if I do a jay?

 

This label art is a crime against all that is holy, but I'm hoping that the beer within is worthwhile. The last few Kettleheads I've had have been pretty good, some better than others, and I still think maybe they're a bit more batchy than some people give them credit for (lots of hype, honestly), but we'll see how this is. I don't know much about it other than that it clocks in at 7.5% ABV and is advertised as being sticky and dank. Sounds fun!

The pour is pretty nice, for sure. It's an opaque but bright-colored yellow-ish golden hue with a modest head of bone-white foam that sticks around for a bit, eventually sinking to a solid finger with good legs. Lacing here is also pretty solid, which I appreciate. It's not really anything to praise super-highly, but I think it looks nice enough in a pint glass.

Right off the bat, I can tell this is going to be a bit different than a lot of NEIPAs out there, because it smells more resinous and a bit more aggressive than a lot of the current slew of hazies out there. Punchy pine and strong elements of grapefruit peel, pomelo, and guava mingle with grassiness and a hint of tangerine rind. A good bit more like a "West Coast IPA" than anything else this brewery has put out lately, that's for sure.

Flavor is well-rounded, with prominently-displayed citrus and pine resin upfront followed by a sudden yeasty undertone that seems common with Kettlehead beers in general. I think they could stand to be a little more crisp, especially when it comes to something like this, but it's not a big deal overall, just something I figured I'd point out. Tangy pomelo, grapefruit, papaya, and hints of melon and grassiness all coming together pretty nicely. It kinda peters out before it gets great, in my opinion, and I could have done with some lingering bitterness to perk up the palate, but I'm not going to ding 'em just because it's not exactly my preference. This is a tasty one, but probably also not something I'd return to overall. Most Kettlehead IPAs so far feel like one-and-done offerings to me. Nothing wrong with that, I guess, but they do charge a premium for their beer. I enjoy tasting them and reviewing them but some consistency would be preferable.

Poured into a 16 oz Snulip canned on 1/19/2021. Pours a cloudy yellow with a 2 finger sticky white head that leaves little dabs of lace with excellent retention. 4.25

Aroma peach, papaya, tangerine, marijuana, pine, and grapefruit rind. 4

Taste follows pine, grapefruit, and marijuana upfront, peach, tangerine, and papaya in the balanced and lingering finish. 4.25

Mouthfeel is bigger than average, a tad dry and sticky, plenty of life but softer than most West Coast IPAs, and at 7.5% ABV bigger in flavor but easy going down. 4.25

Overall another excellent IPA from Kettlehead. I recommend. 4.25