Beach Cruiser
Point Brewing Co.

355 mL can from the brewery; no packaging date. Served barely chilled.

Pours a hazy golden-amber colour, barely managing to kick up half an inch of loose, bubbly white head. It lasts for sixty seconds or so, quickly reduced to a soapy collar and filmy cap; minimal lace production. Grapefruit, passion fruit and orange juice on the nose, with hints of berries, papaya and pine needles.

Pleasant, well-balanced profile driven primarily by fruity hops. Apricot, passion fruit, orange and especially grapefruit dominate, assisted by grainy malts and some low key lactose sweetness; this aspect helps to blunt the piney, resiny bitterness that develops toward the finish. Finishes with grapefruit juice and stone fruit/berry sweetness fading into a pithy aftertaste. Medium in body, with moderately active carbonation that feels crisp and a little spritzy; smooth, juicy mouthfeel suitable for the style. I could easily drink several of these in a row.

Final Grade: 3.97, a B+. Plenty, if not most milkshake IPAs make use of some sort of fruit addition - and no doubt I've had a few fantastic brews of that sort. However, I've found that milkshake IPAs such as Beach Cruiser, which rely solely on hops for their fruitiness, can be equally interesting and unique. This brew's success has a lot to do with its hop selection: you can't go wrong with Citra or Idaho 7 these days, and I've always been partial to Simcoe. Its subtle lactose sweetness and low abv, together with its approachable hop flavours and (relatively) low bitterness, make for an exceptionally sessionable take on this style. Very solid work from Point Brewing - this is possibly their best pale ale to date.