Rico Guavé
Islla Street Brewing Company

an ipa only in the loosest possible sense, and i guess in that its hoppy at the end, but this is anything but another hazy one. its apparently actually made with pink guava empanadas, which, just wow, what a curious ingredient to inspire a beer, but all the brews were this creative in here, and they all tasted really good too! i get the fruit, a little in the color, a little in the aroma, and a lot in the taste, sweet and juicy, tropical, but also balanced and grounded by the wheaty malt, raw and a little dense and unrefined, but needed i think. the hops dont really come on until late, and seem to pick up where the fruit leaves off, extending the juicy citrus part, and going from sweet to just a little bit bitter, still really approachable, summery, and dynamic. i wish it was a little cleaner, it sits a bit heavy, and it doesnt warm up super well. i also am not sure about an empanada as an ingredient, like the crust part, this is almost a little bit doughy up front and greasy on the back end, but at the same time, its kind of neat that we can actually taste and appreciate the pastry element of this. not my favorite of their beers, but its hard not to be stoked on something so inventive...