Cellar Echoes
Definitive Brewing Company

Another week, another few Definitive IPAs. These guys are cranking out really good stuff lately, enough so that it makes me feel almost a bit bad that I slept on them for a year or so! This one is a double dry-hopped DIPA with Mosaic and Simcoe as well as the Cryo versions of both of these hops. I had a beer with a similar kind of idea behind the involved hops a few weeks ago (Glimmering by Finback, though it used Idaho 7 and Cashmere along with the Cryo versions of those hops), and it actually worked pretty well. Let's see if these two "modern classic" hop varietals present well when paired with their alternate forms in this big ol' IPA!

This pours a less-NEIPA-ish beer than I thought it would, that's for sure. It's hazy, of course, but the color has a medium-amber, almost copper-leaning hue to it, and it's topped off with a slightly off-white head of foam that lingers intensely as it settles down from the initial three-or-so fingers that it poured with. Good lace and excellent legs here, so I'm into it already, especially since it's kind of defied my expectations already.

The nose here is outrageously good... super saturated with big mango, papaya, passion fruit, tangelo, and pine resin elements combining with a hint of cannabis and pineapple. Wow, lots going on here, and it all works well together. Mosaic seems to actually play second-fiddle to Simcoe in this one, as I don't get a ton of the more unusual berry/earthy notes from its usual expression in beers like this, and Simcoe's intense pine and citrus aspects really feel pushed further. Perhaps it's due to the Cryo hops or something, but who knows? All I know is that I really enjoy the smell of this beer!

Super smooth flavor profile, too. It's a bit sweet with strong flavors of papaya and passion fruit backed up by oily pine resin, grapefruit, orange, and even light hints of melon and peach. I do get perhaps a suggestion of blueberry in here, too, along with a hint of hoppy spice, so there is a good bit of complexity and it doesn't just come across as a big generically-hoppy/citrus/tropical juice bomb. In other words, I really enjoy it... there are familiar flavors and there are unique elements combining in a pretty effortless way here. Feel is pillowy and plush with low-medium carbonation and a moderate body that drinks pretty easily considering its strength. I'm really into this. I would like to get more. Definitive is quickly becoming one of my new favorite NEIPA producers. Their stuff just works!

 

 

 

 

On-tap 1/7/2022 at Max’s in Dartmouth, MA, served in US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a slightly hazy light gold color, with a short dense white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains piney & dank hops, fruity citrus and light caramelized malts.

T: The taste starts out with a strong juicy citrus and tropical fruit sweetness. Then a good piney and dank hops bitterness comes in. The malt character is hearty but not too heavy and brings a very good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet and slightly hoppy.

M: Crisp and smooth, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Very tasty, goes down quite easily, not too filling, good kick, very good representation of style. This is a solid DIPA to drink for a while.

 

This is just all around excellent, nails a nice balance between juicy and bitterness to offset, and has a smooth, nearly creamy feel but still enough carbonation to make it clean drinking, crisp, and have you coming back for more. Deftly executed and initially coming across as another citrusy, juicy NEIPA lost in the pack but revealing subtlety, refinement and strong drinkability can after can.

Spectacular beer. Some of the most creative lacing I've ever seen on a tulip - left an outline shaped like the continents in an globe atlas...! Taste was sweet and juicy. Feel was solid. One of the best juice bombs I've had in a great while. My only regret - I only bought one to try. Will get more soon if they rotate it.

 

 

Despite the descriptions of fruitiness, I find this to be much less fruity, and I get more of the malt and a sense of honey. This one is amazingly smooth, no bitterness at all, a nice alternative to the super fruity double IPAs that are currently attacking the world.

 

 

 

Picked-up a single can at Craft Beer Cellar in Plymouth for about six dollars. My first brew reviewed from these guys, not sure if I have heard of them before? This is very good.

Canned on 2/19/21 (12 riddles in the dark)
Opened and reviewed on: 3/27/21 update from 12/26/22** notes at bottom.

Thick haze of gold and orange. Muddy hazy in the middle. Bubbly white foam cAp is thick and lacy.

Peppery pineapple and citrus hits the nose first, leafy and dry earthy hop tones comes next. Spicy and grainy malt hits last but still pretty hard in the aromatics.

Boozy and spicy pineapple and citrus blend in the hop flavor is bold and spicy. Crispy and peppery first sip turns smooth and very juicy in the feels. Some pithy, boozy heat also poos out of the hops with sweet honey dripping from the lush malted golden grains from the field.

Complex/spicy/juicy/earthy tang is pretty impressive overall.

**Cellar Echoes

Definitive Brewing Company

IPA Imperial/Double New England /...

Complex saturation of boozy, spicy and citric hop flavor's with a bold and sweet malted base that is practically endlessly interesting to ponder and sip slow. Zesty, spicy lemon drop candy hops with a fat grainy earth tone right. along side. Dry wonder.

Pours a hazy orange with fine, soft head.

Smell is fruity and juicy with notes of mango, peach, melon and a hint of caramel.

Taste is juicy with a solid bitterness. Notes of grapefruit, orange peel, caramel, mango, melon and some dank hints.

Mouthfeel is medium. soft and pillowy with good carbonation.

Overall, a terrific DIPA, with great balance.