Week 469
Industrial Arts Brewing Company - Beacon

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoyed this one from a 16 oz can purchased at Whole Foods. Tasty, crisp and clean. A real quenching and crushable brew!

16oz can purchased from the fridge as part of a 4-pack for $13.99. Canned on 7/18/25, so this beer is super fresh at just 19 days old!

Look: Somewhere between medium gold and light orange in color. Excellent clarity. There was a finger and half of rocky off-white head that quickly dissipated to a thin rim around the glass.

Smell: The nose is phenomenal - super fresh and pungent Nelson Sauvin hop aroma with notes of dankness, funk, white grape, grapefruit, and gooseberry. There's an interesting bit of sweetness also present on the nose after swirling the glass, it's almost like a cotton candy grape or honeydew melon note. Very interesting.

Taste: Very clean, crisp, and refreshing. I find this interesting because it is different from most other IPAs that I have had. In some ways, this beer has more balance than an IPA and is more like a Pale Ale; however, in other ways this beer is crisper and cleaner than an IPA or a Pale Ale and is more like a lager. To me, it's kind of like a hybrid. It is very well-balanced - up front, it has the classic Nelson Sauvin character with juicy white grape and grapefruit zest. The finish has only mild to moderate bitterness with pithy notes. It's very crisp, clean, and drinkable. Now I'm getting a lot of resinous, piney character on the finish. The finish is also peppery and a bit spicy.

Feel: The body is surprisingly light. As I said multiple times above already, it's very crisp, clean, and refreshing. I wonder what kind of malts they used here. I would guess that it's pale malt with a bit of crystal, and it may even have a good amount of pilsner malt.

Overall: This beer is very solid. I'm not going to say that it's my favorite Nelson Sauvin IPA, but at only 5.8% ABV and at this freshness level it is definitely a winner. For me, it's really hard to beat a fresh Half Acre Vallejo. To me, this beer is almost too sweet for me because I would much rather have a punch in your face bitterness and give me a green bell pepper note on the finish instead of a sweet cotton candy grape or honeydew melon note. I'm not sure if that sweet note on the nose was intentional because they were trying to appeal to a broader audience or if was unintentional and that's just the way that these hops smell.

 

This just so happens to be one of my favorite sub categories of beer and IA knows what they're doing. Going in with high expectations.

The look is pretty unassuming. It is NOT hazy IPA, which is what IA is known for. Clear as can be. Pale golden in coloration, moderate carbonation, lingering head. You get the Nelson hops right away on the nose. Very dank, earthy, green. The taste follow suit with an extra bit of melony fruitiness and malt. The mouthfeel on it is amazing. Thin. Very crushable.

Highly recommended for New Zealand hop fanatics. This is what you want right here.