Sunblaze IPA
Five Wits Brewing Company

 

Had Sunblaze poured from 12-oz. can, no date, into small tulip "pint" glass.

Pours medium, cloudy gold with 1-finger off-white head, with decent retention, leaving nice but splotchy lace down the glass. Big sweet juicy fruit aroma off pour, and continuing, complemented by some herbals, florals, melon and finally a bit of malt as warms. Begins crisp and resinous, with some citrus and stone fruits joining, before a seriously resinous, biting, yet still malty finish.

The aroma is overly juicy to my preference, but adds interest to an otherwise uncomplicated but nicely resinous, aggressively bitter and better than expected house IPA.

 

 

 

 

Clean, crisp and racy, the brewers at Five Wits put their wits together for a hybrid IPA that prefers the drier, spicier taste of West Coast while enjoying the aromatic and juicy hop flavor of more New England styled ale. Their results are quite witty.

Meeting sumer head on, Sublaze IPA pours with a deep straw or slight golden haze before topping out with a creamy white froth. As its bright and fruity scent of citrus, tropical and berry accented hops tease the nose, the first taste leads to a crisp agave, cracker-like and cereal soft maltiness early on the tongue.

As the hops unfold, the middle palate brightens considerably with the succulence of passionfruit, gooseberry, papaya and under ripened mango. A more racy taste of lemon, white grapefruit and young oranges add a familiar zing before the beer tightens its spicy grip in a late palate filled with herbal, tea-like hop bitterness.

Medium light on the palate, the beer's dryness and sparkling carbonation assists in a refreshing dryness akin to popular gin drinks. Perfect for washing down pesto pizza, the beer's aftertaste is medium long with floral sassafras and a slight geranium earthiness.