Half Nelson
Transcend Beer Crafters

 

 

This is one of the prettiest hazies I’ve ever seen. It looks like a beautiful yellow pineapple milkshake, with a piña colada-fluff, head. Almost milky in its glowing turbidity, nearly completely opaque. This is sitting at the absolute perfect ABV to remain luscious and “moreish” but none too sweet or boozy. The Nelson Sauvin is giving it all of the creamy, smooth, mellow softness that you would expect, but there is an underpinning of bitter hop oil surrounding each sip of voluptuous milky murk, like a silver lined cloud… possibly the riwaka talking… a slight peppery prose to keep it from being one note, repetitive. This is not just typical standard fare white grape Nelson blah blah, nor is it Citra-centric obviousness… it feels like all the hops have each-other in check… each of the three grappling for dominance and somehow stalemated with one another in a “half-nelson” on the tongue. What comes across on the palate is a soft, vanilla-esque manna, equal parts floral and fruity but not in the punchy tropical mixed fruit sense, more lemon curd, lemon meringue pie, key lime pie... yet it’s mild in its boldness, not tart or prickly. This is one of the best nelson brews i’ve ever had and i’m a huge nelson hops fan.