Playground Tactics
Urban Roots Brewing & Smokehouse

 

 

 

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: New England Double / Imperial IPA
Glass: Pure Project 14-oz. Teku glass
Price: n/a
From: Chad
Purchased: n/a; Received Jan. 17, 2021
Consumed: Jan. 17, 2021
Misc.: Canned on Oct. 1, 2020

Thanks, Chad!

Was lucky enough to have this and four others sent to me by Chad. Had heard of this brewery but had no idea that it was from Sacramento. Their website calls it an “Unfiltered DIPA with Citra and Galaxy.” Back of the can had Strata as well. Canned on Oct. 1, so wouldn’t be the freshest but was still intrigued.

Poured a light golden hazy color with three fingers of rocky white head. Could see some bubbles coming up along the sides of the glass. Almost perfect spiderweb foamy lacing. Excellent retention. (Sight - 4.50)

Smelled Galaxy, pineapple, papaya, tangerine, orange, Citra, grapefruit, peach and vanilla. Smelled a little better out of the can. (Smell - 3.75)

Tasted better than the nose. Got orange creamsicle, vanilla, orange, tangerine, papaya, pineapple, grapefruit, Galaxy, peach, passion fruit and a little bit of caramel. (Taste - 4.00)

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average-to-soft carbonation. Long, smooth finish. (Feel - 4.25)

This was outstanding overall. Glad I got to try it. (Overall - 4.00)

4.00 | 90 | A-

 

Big, juicy, and enjoyable. Really nicely balanced, this beer pairs sweet malt with citusy hops and an almost chewy body. Long finish and deep hop flavors keep you going back for more. Really nice!

 

 

I dig this beer, I put the sticker on my wash machine!

Yellow more than average haze kind of pour, getting into looks like gravy/orange juice territory and 3/5" white head. Pineapple, tangerine, papaya kind of aroma. All the hallmarks of Citra and Galaxy hops, plenty plentiful to get on the redundant tip.

Taste pushed along by a pillowy mouthfeel, more of the citrus/tropical fruit combo notes. Carbonation on point, hides the alcohol amazingly well, nothing perceptible in terms of a acidic burn or bitter harshness. What I found surprising was that this had lactose. Must have been in my preferable proportion, as I didn't notice, and the beer was good and had a very good mouth feel.

I keep saying it about these guys, but if you really want a treat, make sure you stop in for some of their food. For all the hub bub in the Midwest (which is righteously awesome, don't get me wrong) I think their smoked meats are just as impressive, but the beer is better than any similar kind of venue. Very good beer, great food.

This oozes out of the can like a Slurpee and is about as clear. Lovely big pile of foam in the IPA glass, and lively and lush on the tongue. Tangerine tart with grapefruit bitter. Very sharp and acidic with serious citrus peel after the sugary rush. It's OK for a dose of flavor and sweetness, but not one to sip for thirst purposes.

Galaxy and Citra are the hops plus lactose. Seems like brewers are proliferating varieties of hoppy brews to the point that "IPA" is a catch-all. The waters are muddy! Notch another example of the futti-tutti sweet slippery slush. From the 16 oz can delivered by Best Damn from San Diego.

 

 

Poured from a can -murky and turbid medium yellow ,looks like fresh juice, quickly dissipating white head leaving wispy lacing. Nose is ripe melon and tropical fruit. Taste follows with a dominating citrus tone.Finish is mildly tart with a bit of hop bite. Very tasty.

Sweet, tropical hoppy and orange-citrus nose on this one! Taste follows with the sweet tropical notes upfront and then the orange citrus bitterness takes over. Really good depth and nice, soft mouthfeel! The use of lactose is subtle and well-balanced...this is really good!

 

Pours with a bright murky yellow body and a finger of off-white frothy head. The head retention is standard, but there is A LOT of lacing left on the glass. The beer truly looks beautiful.

Great points on the smell. This beer is very pungent, and the bright tropical and citrusy notes hit you as soon as you open the can. I think there is a tad bit of yeast smell to it as well, though maybe that is just my (beer-infused) imagination.

Taste follows the nose — extremely tropical and juicy, with notes of sweet orange, tangerine, and papaya. Hops are well balanced by a strong malt backbone. There is a bit of an ill-fitting yeasty taste element that doesn't match the rest of the taste presentation, but it is only a slight minus.

In terms of feel, this is pretty epic too. Again, this is a spot-on NEIPA with medium carbonation, creamy texture and no apparent alcohol.

What a fantastic beer, even at over a month old! I've heard good things about these guys ever since they first opened, and after trying Playground Tactics, I'm so ready to try more of their offerings.

Canned 10/22/18.
L: Pours hazy yellow in color. Definitely looks like "juice." About 2 fingers of a dense white cap which dissipated quickly. Moderate lacing left on the glass.
S: Tropical and fruity. Passionfruit, guava, mango and papaya is abundant. Citrus is noted but surprisingly more subtly. It does have a starburst/bubblegum aroma to it but I actually like it.
T: Follows the nose. A ton of juice flavor. Dominated by passionfruit, papaya, mango and pineapple. Also taste some peach and apricot as well. Slightly bitter hoppy grassy and lemony after taste with lingering fruit sweetness. It is somewhat sweet, but I am enjoying the taste.
F: Nice soft feel with decent body. Carbonation is appropriate for the style.
O: I think this brew is great. Its a juice bomb, so if you're not about it then be forewarned. I really enjoyed this beer and I would definitely drink again. This is my first offering from Urban Roots and now they are on my radar. I am very grateful to have tried. Cheers!

 

Initial thoughts, nice nose, too much Galaxy bubblegum coming through on the taste for my preferences, solid full mouthfeel but accompanied by plenty of acidity and astringency. Good, but not repeatable for my palate and preferences. Time to gift some extra cans from my 4pk.

The beer pours out a murky golden yellow color, with almost no head at all(looks like orange juice)-------------- the aromas are of pineapple, yeasty notes, orange juice, stone fruit, juicy fruit gum and tropical starburst candy----------------- the flavors are of pine, yeasty notes, grapefruit and pineapple, the beer has a full mouthfeel with an assertive bitterness on the finish---------------- overall this beer was exceptional - this is some top notch juice with a in your face hop bite on the finish--