Citraddiction
Great Lakes Brewery

Pours hazed bright gold with a compact but long lasting head. The aroma is lemon, apricot, mango and berry hops with a cookie dough maltiness. The taste is a mix of tropical and citrus hops with a light pale malt ballast. The mouthfeel is lightbodied with light carbonation. Moderate bitterness and lingering tropical hops in the finish.

A nice APA with a good balance of Citra hop flavors and malts and light bitterness. Great hot weather beer.

 

Look: It pours a hazy bright medium shade of yellow with orange highlights. Starts off with a 1 1/2 finger bubbly white head that slowly pulls back to 1/3 of a finger at 5 minutes, leaving great lacing around the sides of my glass.

Smell: Sweet and tropical with pineapple dominant, lemon and oranges definately in the mix, and I can't help notice a hint of halloween candy rockets in the mix.

Taste: Summer in a can. Lemons and grapefruit up front. Definately a strong dry biscuit backbone is noticable by midsip and into the finish where their is a hint of green apples.

Feel: Light and crisp. Plays all over the back of the tongue. Slightly chalky at the end.

This is a nice summer sipper. Comes in at 4.4 percent so this is a beer built for an afternoon on the dock. I give it a stong B+.

 

A-Yellow with a haze, white head that disappears quickly
S-Aroma is not pronounced and the little Citra punch that is there can hardly be detected
M-Light beer, watered down really, I know it's a session and 4.4%, but...
T-There is a light Citra bitterness with the citrusy and fruit hit but in a small dose. No real malt backbone either.
O-This is like a Citra tea, watery and not very flavourful. It's as if Coors Lite used Citra hops. I was so looking forward to this, but was let down hard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Citraddiction looks filtered on the first pour but is "extra pulpy" the second go-round. Here begins the similarities to fruit juice; initially like lemonade in appearance, it more resembles pineapple juice after sediment is introduced. The head is constant, however, and leaves a legacy on the glass.

The simplest and most accurate way of describing the aroma would be 'fresh squeezed grapefruit juice'. Well, technically, the most accurate would be 'Citra hops' as the recipe uses exclusively this variety and it's that which we have to thank for this overtly citrusy, very grapefruit-like bouquet.

How much of my daily Vitamin C am I getting in this can? My guess is a lot. The abundance of citrus flavour continues in the taste which, again like grapefruit, offers slicing acidity, biting bitterness, and just enough fruity sweetness to be ultimately enticing. Super refreshing stuff.

Should I be surprised Great Lakes stuffed this much hoppiness into a relatively lean 4.4% figure? No, this brewer has proven himself capable of just about anything. What impresses me more is the restraint shown with regards to malt; the mistake made too often with these "session IPAs" is to simply reduce the portions by half. It doesn't work that way...

The lower the alcohol the less room for spotlight. In a double-digit Barleywine or Imperial Stout, for instance, there's room for everyone (malt, hops, yeast); a pale ale, not so much. The reason we're treated to such juicy citrus flavours is that grain was kept light (both colour and weight wise). Good call.

As much as I enjoy it, I don't find Citraddiction all that addictive - that's probably only because I have a preexisting obsession with the phenomenal Karma Citra. But if you're in the hunt for a hop-bomb that won't knock you out, then look no further - this is the answer to your prayers.

Perfect for a summer's day. Or any day before work. Decent citra flavour for low-ish ABV. Wouldn't be surprised if subtle changes are made before next year's (expected but not confirmed) summer release for a slightly better balance, but I'm happy as it is now. Would love to find a case....

 

 

 

 

 

Can picked up from the brewery. Served in a Cantillon tulip.

A - A few fingers of white foam settles to a thin cap, thick collar, and splotchy lace. Hazy pale golden straw body.

S - Citra hops galore, with tons of orange, mango, and a bit of zesty grapefruit. Crackery malt backdrop, perhaps a hint of pine and cat pee in there as well.

T - Taste isn't quite as punchy, with more tropical fruit and sugary malts. Fairly low bitterness; the listed 40 IBU sounds about right. There's a bit of grapefruit rind and pine in the finish.

M - Medium-light body; a tad watery. Lower carbonation, and slightly gritty in the texture. Lingering hop oils on the palate.

D - Nice session pale ale with a hefty dose of Citra. Very drinkable, but missing a certain oomph to make it great. Still, definitely a beer they should make semi-regularly.