Couples Retreat
Chilton Mill Brewing

 

 

DATE: December 14, 2020... OCCASION: Browns host the Ravens in arguably Cleveland's biggest December game in fifteen years... Maudite snifter... pours an ultra-hazy, dirty orange-brown body impossible to see through... its head is white car wash foam, bubbling and clinging before collapsing in its center... like a Myles Garrett sack, this impacts powerfully, with mango, papaya, big peach and apricot--too many fruits to name here, with zero hints of resin, pine, bread or malts.. this front-forward approach manifests in the teeth, tickling them more than ringing them... that hop presence oozes on the palate, seeping into the pores of the mouth... surprisingly, this hits at the throat too--warm, tingling, reminding that its ABV is meant to titillate… tart and tangy, with sharp lemon, papaya, grapefruit, and stinging citrus... it kicks and spurs like a couples retreat should, causing friction and attention, if not attraction... this is a straight-up tropical hop smash, fruity and smooth, a cocktail masquerading as a brew... quite a one-dimensional show, though it does what it intends to do quite well...

On draught at the brewery. Served in a plastic cup (due to COVID-19 restrictions). It pours a turbid, pastel orange with tan/light brown hues, and a thin, milk-white head and lacing. The nose features lemon, pineapple, and tropical fruits. Despite the fruity nose, the taste is dominated by fairly sweet malt and bitter Citra and Galaxy hops. These hops seem to add more bitterness than fruit. The combination overpowers the citrus and tropical fruit I smelled. This ale has a nice mouth feel - viscous and creamy - with a pleasant level of carbonation. And its 8.7% ABV gives it good substance. Overall, this is an easy-drinking DIPA. I'd like to taste more of the citrus and tropical fruit.