SMaSH Lemondrop
Lakefront Brewery

 

Poured from 12-ounce bottle into a stemmed tub-style glass. Clear, deep amber color, with a three-finger white head that left a modicum of spotty lacing. The brewer's notes describe this to a tee. Malt-forward aroma, with light caramel and biscuit up front and a little lemony citrus following. The hop character really comes through on the palate, with bright lemon zest complementing the malt sweetness. Medium in body, with a slightly sweet and lemony finish that lingers and lingers. I'm not 100 percent convinced that this falls into the IPA style category, as to me it seems closer to a blonde ale. Whatever you call it, though, it's outstanding.

 

 

 

 

So crisp and clean. Nice hint of citrus. Perfect summer beer

Fresh 12 oz bottle with a BB date of 31 July 2017.
{This is NOT an IPA; an APA?)

Clear amber body that's topped by a semi-durable off-white head. Excellent lacing.

Aroma: lemony bread.

Flavor: lives up to the name Lemondrop. Faint herbs, caramel and yeast join the mix.

Feel: soft medium+ carbonation and smooth, light body. Semi-dry finish. Very nice.

Overall: excellent new hop variety nicely presented in this very refreshing light ale.

 

Aroma: Despite its Best By Date of July 2017, this example has a distinct cardboard aroma that signifies it is past its prime or was oxidized at some point during packaging . Moderate herbal and spicy aromas, with an underlying citrus smell. The Vienna malt also shines through with its grainy and light biscuity aromatics. 7/12
Appearance: A hazy golden color with apparent sediment. Creamy, off-white head (with a hint of orange color) that dissipates slowly leaving a gorgeous lacing on the glass. A mixture of tight, small bubbles and somewhat larger ones form the head. 2.5/3
Flavor: The herbal/spiciness of the Lemondrop hops really pop in the flavor, much more than the citrus aspect of the hop does. The Vienna malt contributes a dry graininess with a touch of toasted malt flavor in this beer. They call it an ale, but I get almost clean lager characteristics. Maybe a Kolsch yeast? Finishes medium dry. Slight astringency. 11/20
Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied. Definitely drys the palate. Alcohol is apparent, but not warming in anyway. Fairly low carbonation. 2.5/5
Overall: Not something I would go back to. This is the first version I have tried from Lakefront's SMaSH series. There is an underlying harshness that is off-putting to my palate, on top of the oxidization. 5/10

TOTAL: 28/50

Aroma is bright lemon/citrus, hops and a hint of sweetness. The flavor is lemon/citrus, malts s and a mix of hops/hop resin and mildly spicy in the finish.