Neon
Highland Park Brewery

 

 

 

Sweet tropical hoppy slightly citrusy nose on this one! Taste follows with citrus bitterness that is fairly well-balanced...great depth for a single...good!

Straight pour from a 32oz crowler to a stemless wine glass (HPB’s Bottle Friends cat glass), filled at the brewery three days ago. It looks like it went on tap a bit under three weeks ago (18 or 19 days). Fairly fresh, excited to try it!

Appearance (3.5): This quickly pours out a solid two, two and a half fingers of just off-white head capping a crystal clear, 24ct gold body—West Coast through and through, baby. The head dies down at a decent pace, leaving a pock-marked, cratered surface with an audible crackle. Not much lacing to speak of. Great initial look, but the retention and lacing leave something to be desired.

Smell (4.0): Bits of tangerine, lemon curd, and an interesting mix of slightly piney, tropical fruit-ish marijuana. It’s got a lovely dankness interwoven with soft mango and pineapple, which I feel something very ah, special for. A dry, crackery grain/malt body is just barely evident, showing some common cracker and baking soda biscuit crust, peeping through between dank and fruit. As it opens up, a hint of ripe nectarine and some passionfruit come out more.

Taste (4.0): On the palate, the beer offers an interesting blend of pomegranate pith, limeade, and ganja resin bitterness, which taken together walk the line between citrusy/juicy and resinous/bitter, all kind of mutually informing. The beer waltzes in with a quick, not overwhelming flash of bitterness, before transitioning into a more mellow midsection dominated by a soft malt or grain presence: whole wheat biscuit edges, common cracker, mixed flour pain de campagne crust. Before long though, it moves into a clean bitterness that blends lime zest and dank, piney resin—but not too heavy-handed in either way. Still, it finishes soft and juicy, with the back-end bitterness cleaning up nicely with just enough dryness. No sign of booze.

Mouthfeel (4.25): Carbonation washes over all surfaces with a soft, fluffy presence that remains throughout the drink. The body mixes in with a soft, surprisingly slightly shy of medium-weight body that starts and remains balanced between dry and juicy-slick. Even so, the hops help to dry it out even more, bumping a well-proportioned, drinkable IPA into somewhat more crushable territory, with that dryness beckoning the next sip without ever feeling uncomfortable.

Overall (4.0): This feels like an old school West Coast IPA in every single way, but softer and juicier than would otherwise be expected. Like, this beer shows off all of the hallmarks of good West Coast IPAs—fruity, pithy, and resinous bitterness, a relatively lean body for its size, good balance of body and carb, and a soft and well-composed malt/grain bill—but edges away from the bracing bitterness, parched grains, and sharp finish toward which so many of the old school hop bombs trended. That said, it doesn’t show off the style’s potential for showcasing the big, weird, left-field aromas and flavors that the best high-quality hops can yield. And, maybe it wasn’t meant to be that kind of beer, maybe it was meant to be a drinkable, solid, old school but still approachable West Coast IPA. Either way, recommended for a pint, but you probably don’t need to go out of your way for a 4-pack unless that’s what you’re jonesing for.

 

 

Up front with hop goodness. A bit dank with citrus notes in the aftertaste. Would want more.

 

 

 

Poured into a teku pint. No freshness date.

A- Pours a medium amber color with a full inch of off-white head that retains well before becoming a thick ring around the edge of the glass and a mostly full sheet of surface foam. Semi-resilient lacing leaves large clots behind.

S- Wonderful aroma of tropical fruit, dankness and some sweet malt. Notes of grapefruit, pineapple and orange peel. Great balance.

T- Flavor follows the nose with lots of citrus and stone fruit and a malt presence that provides just enough balance. Bitterness is assertive but works well within the flavor profile. Slightly sweet.

M- Sharp and a bit oily from the hops with medium carbonation and a body leaning toward the lighter side.

O- This stuff is awesome. Was not expecting the extra in the box from my trade to overshadow the beers I actually traded for. Will be looking out for more offerings from these guys in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another amazing beer by HPB. Very smooth and delicious. I had to stop and drink water because I thought I was just super thirsty...nope. This beer is that good. Like being stuck in the desert and drinking water out of an oasis. Excellent!