Beyond the Mirage
Curious Creatures Beer Corp

awesome can art on this, a collaboration with mirage but the first i have ever heard or seen of curious creatures, cool! a light and insanely clean pale ale here done with quality strata and azacca hops from roy farms. this is super summery, minimal in the right ways, the alcohol and the grain and even the ferment, but maximalist when it comes to showcasing these hops in a lighter beer, really high quality and really drinkable, seems perfect for summers last gasp here. real blonde, clear, and polished looking with a nice airy and rising snow white head. smells and taste very mild on the grain side, earthy and continental perhaps, but simple, fermented dry, and out of the way, maybe a classic malt here, but a new school application i would say, love how light they keep it, some biscuit character, batter, not much body from it, ideal for this really. this is of course about the hops, and these two varietals play extremely well together, a cool combination that seems to accentuate what both do well. i get light herbal and spicy notes from the azacca but it lacks its overt bitterness and sometimes vegetal character it can present with. meanwhile the strata comes in grassy and fresh with soft citrus and new fangled sativa vibes, less of the coconut and lush aspects it usually has, i like it in this somewhat softer expression, they really do marry well. bitterness is there most of the way, but its appropriate for what this is and it doesnt linger. it almost has a kolsch element to it, that light fruitiness where hops and yeast come together in a mellow but pleasing way. i think this is excellent, and id love to get my lips on more from these guys, cool project, great hop profile!