It Was Written - Tangerine Blood Orange Prickly Pear
Rising Storm Brewing Co

The color is very similar to the muddy dull pinkish-purple of papaya. The head is rusty orange that quickly falls from 1” to 0”. Translucent sticky goo, with fine particulate clings to the Strangebird IIPA glass, along with spotty lace.

The aroma is simple and direct. Papaya and cantaloupe. That’s it, nothing else comes through. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Not at all.

Equally mild three parts bitter, sweet, and sour, all in tandem at first then together, then mixed up. That is a really interesting and nice attribute of the beer. While this is definitely beer, the fruit flavors are quite strong, with papaya being most prominent. My familiarity with prickly pear is rather low, and frankly it has been a while since I eat one, so I have attributed an “otherness” to the cactus fruit. The finish is long, very mild and all fruit.

There is no hint of alcohol, which is remarkable given the reported 6% abv. The texture is very odd too, kind of rubbery, with a full body. Carbonation is soft, almost undetectable, yet this is by no means flat. This odd carbonation is likely due to the texture of the beer.

While the Sour-IPA label is appropriate, I think Fruited-IPA would be a better description. Regardless, this very tasty, and far more enjoyable than the appearance suggests. It is all so strange in every regard, which in itself makes it an enjoyable experience. This one was consumed on a cool, early July afternoon, under clear skies and a light breeze. It seems just right for a carefree Sumer afternoon. Thanks to Dave, for another fun trade.