Operation Haze Bro
E9 Brewing Co.

 

 

really not all that hazier than many of their new england types, and for the third time in a row with one of their beers, after a long run of impressive uniqueness from each, a fairly samey one unfortunately. its astoundingly fresh, fluffy feeling and peppy on the hops, but it has very little to make it stand out from the crowd, perhaps the name is a nod to that, but they give you no information on the labels, so its tough to say whats in it, why, anything really. huge airy white head on this a couple of inches tall and only slowly settling back, light peach colored brew with uniform unfiltered cloudiness but no obvious density or sediment. aroma of clementine and clover, with some meyer lemon in the mix, and the flavor follows, bringing just a bit of pine bitterness to the final seconds of each drag i take, clean for a hazy, they always get that part right in these. like revision, who i consider to be a beer of theirs with the hoppy stuff, maybe you just cant have 30 different ipa types all with their own personality, some inevitably have to run together a little bit, but they sure do a pretty good job of it, way better than most, even the notable operations back east. still, this was good without being great, well made for me is most of the time not enough anymore with a hazy ipa, i want a unique sensory experience, and this really doesnt deliver that, even though it improves as it sits, gets more dramatic and such, but its a delicious can and a fine way to kick off the weekend, not complaining! i cant wait to check these guys out in a couple of weeks!

edit: this was more impressive in a later batch, more southern hemisphere and distinctive on the hop side, but also the new stuff from e9 has slowed down a lot, so maybe its just been awhile. this had an appreciable lightness to it that didnt stand out this much the first time, i think better overall now. raising the overall score to reflect its subtle but definite evolution. its confusing that they seem to change up the color scheme on the cans every time they can a new batch of the same beer too, like its hard to pick them out from each other, but at least the beer always rules!

edit: was this one intended to be a rotational recipe? somewhat different again (and from a different looking can again) in a recent experience, super fresh tasting, majorly lemon forward, key lime, so bright. perhaps this is just the freshest i have caught it, but super good!

Double dry-hopped IPA with Citra and Mosaic, fermented with our favourite British Ale yeast.

Appearance - Pours a hazy peach with three fingers of frothy white head.

Smell - citrus and tropical hops, peach, mango, papaya, pineapple, apricot, citrus and orange peel, bready malts, and earthy yeast.

Taste - bold citrus and tropical hops upfront. The peach, mango, papaya, pineapple, apricot, citrus and orange peel follow suit. The bready malts and earthy yeast finish the brew off.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Finishes sticky with the hops and tropical fruits lingering.

Overall - A flavourful New England IPA that is quite sessionable. A great example of the style and here's hoping more offerings from this brewery make their way over to Cowtown.