Ear Wiggler
River Horse Brewing Co.

bitter standard

 

 

Somewhat hazy gold pour, pretty decent fluffy head. The nose is fruity, and the flavor follows. Pineapple, citrus and a berry-like sweetness underneath. Nice counterbalance comes in with pine, just when you think this IPA might be a little too sweet. That's a nice touch and adds to the enjoyment.

In a pint glass from a tap, it has a modest off-white head atop a fully apricot-amber colored liquid. It's opaque, but neither dull, nor murky. The aroma is mostly subdued tropical fruit and some sweet graininess. The mouthfeel is soft and smooth, yet somehow light. There's no hop bite to report, as this even finishes sweet and wet, perhaps like a peach, or orange without a citrus bite. It doesn't taste badly, but it's one dimensional and toward the sweet side of acceptability. As it warms, a mild hop presence can be detected, but not enough to change anything. Fruity sweet, but not to a fault, this is a decent break from overloads of hoppiness, or even maltiness, should that be your preferred style.

Poured from a twelve ounce can, the body is a hazy yellow with a good fluffy initial head. Solid lacing throughout.

Nose has a strong citrusy aroma with a pineapple bent.

Flavor follows nose with a slightly diminished strength. A solid bitterness and pine arrives mid-swallow. Finish is a bit of malty sweetness. Very pleasant.

Strong carbonation but a soft mouthfeel.

River Horse Brewing Co. "Ear Wiggler"
12 fl. oz. can "PACKAGED06/24/22" and sampled on 09/11/22
$2.99 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: This IPA is dry hopped with El Dorado and Mosaic. It's a hazy deep golden beneath a finger's width of white foam. Very tiny bubbles can be seen rising steadily within. The aroma is citrusy/tropical, sweetish, and very lightly berry-like. It's not a big and bold aroma but it's OK; there are pale ales that have roughly the same amount of hops in their aroma. Moving on, the taste offers up a solid fruitiness that includes orange, apricot, passionfruit, berry, pear, nectarine, and even a bit of lime. It's also a little woody, earthy, and herbal. A median bitterness (it's labeled @ 33 IBUs) balances it nicely and brings it to a mainly dry conclusion with a dollop of sweet malt and some of the lime lingering along with the woodiness and earthiness. In the mouth it's medium-light in body and gently crisp. The head has held up well and there's some nice lacing about the glass.