Hazy Crazy
Newport Brewing Company

big hazy double ipa here with a juicy hop profile and a lot of body, not poorly refined but not totally expert either, a neat hop mix saves it from mediocrity, i liked their cleaner more classically styled flagship ipa better. this comes out pretty starchy and dense from the tap, nice churned up white head on it with some lace as it drinks. peachy and stone fruity nose, some lime leaf too, intense but softened by the oaty grain base, cereal character and grassiness to it, but bone dry it seems. i also get subtle lemongrass, green pear, and meadow flowers, neat to have some delicate elements in a beer this strong and full bodied. the flavor is a little heavy to me, and there is just a slight bit of oversaturation on the hop side, but i love the light spiciness of the hops up front, the fact that this still has a little bitterness later on, and how the layers of hops hit at different moments, dried apricot and mango, lemon and lime, kiwi and white grape, weedy fruitiness, and some perceived honey stickiness brought on by all this body. its creamy and full, a little bit of burn, and with some slight yeast character at the end too, one of those modern hazy strains likely. the hop profile makes this, if it was all citra and mosaic it would be easy to lose in the jumble of these, but the uniqueness makes it intriguing. not epic beer in terms of overall quality, but they got the hops right for sure.

Look: Hazy dull orange with a nice-looking head that settles to a lid, leaving good lacing behind as it does
Aroma: Melon, orange, mandarins, light berry notes, pineapple, and some sweet bready malt
Taste: Starts out with a mouthful of mixed citrus fruits and those develop while berry notes start to filter in and join. Pineapple and melon hold their own in the middle before citrus comes in batting cleanup
Mouthfeel: Full but not too heavy, medium-high carbonation, soft, and a little astringency on the finish
Overall: I can dig it. This is pretty flavorful and not as heavy feeling as I thought it might be. A good Hazy DIPA that although I wouldn’t order as my first choice, would drink if I came across it again

 

Poured from a 16 ounce can into a snifter.

Look- Very hazy, no visible sediment, deep gold, frothy white head, above average lacing, average head retention.

Smell- Mango, melon, tangerine.

Taste- Tangerine, very herbaceous/astringent, melon.

Feel- Low bitterness, soft, extremely astringent, between medium and full body, below average carbonation.

Overall- Overwhelmingly herbaceous and astringent, detracting from all other aspects of the experience.

 

Look: thick, creamy, hazy color. Sitting between tangerine juice and a milkshake.

Smell: Immediate hit of a classic hazy IPA. Highly citric, mango, orange, freshly cut grass. Hints of nuttiness and papaya. Lots of tropical punch and mild malt, reminiscent of rye and wheat.

Taste: Follows the nose but with a sharper citrus. Grapefruit abounds alongside the orange and mango. Hazy flavor compliments the fruitiness without over funking the flavor. Pointy flavors rest on the back of the tongue but don't dwindle too long.

Feel: Rich, almost creamy character. Carries the character of a fruity milkshake. Light to moderate carbonation that allows the almost nitro-like texture to present itself.

Very pleasant beer. Hazy New England IPAs are not generally my favorite, but this one is fantastic. Large bodied with plenty of flavors to explore. I definitely recommend checking it out.