Sticky Hands - High 5
Block 15 Brewing - Southtown Tap Room

Just a slight haze, but icky with floaties. Big orange flavor with tangerine finish. Not much bitterness but rather astringent. Citrus rind all the way, plus the fruity sweetness. I guess this is how NE IPAs are supposed to taste. Less acidity than most of these things, and actually drinkable. The orange rind in the back of the throat gets very tiresome however. Worth a couple of gulps and then I'm ready for something clean and refreshing. From the 16 oz can purchased at Elizabeth Station. Dated 09/28/23.

 

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a light to moderately hazy, medium golden amber with a fine, three finger white head with great retention and thick, chunky lacing. Aroma of lightly caramel and pale malt, citrus and piney hops, lemon, grapefruit, mild mixed tropical fruit, berries. Flavor is caramel and pale malt, citrus, dank and piney hops, lemon, grapefruit, mixed light stone and tropical fruit, light pine; a touch of onion. Lingering resinous citrus and fruit ester bitterness. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Oh man, it's been too long since I had a Sticky Hands, and this is a variant that hits the sweet spot for me. I'm a fan of fruit esters from hops and yeast, and High 5 has some fleeting, but flavorful estery notes. There is a solid base of citrus and pine as expected, but with a bit of the tropical and stone fruit you get from New England IPAs. If hazies tasted and were bittered like this, I'd be a big fan. Hit the spot, nicely done.