What Beer Are You Drinking Now? #3880

New England Brewing Co. -- Face Hugger
India pale ale
ABV: 6.8%; pouring temperature: 52 °F; canning info: n/a
Source: @tasterschoice62



4.14/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mostly hazy, deep golden yellow body; thick, dense head, white, semi-creamy, rocky and sculpted, sticky. Wondrous aroma; sweet yellow pome fruits and delicate cereal grain malts; tropical fruit, fresh apple, freshly cut pear; pineapple. Nice flavor; semi-fruity; proportionally bitter; juicy. Medium-heavy body; boozy warmth and bite; alcohol dryness.

Perhaps a little bitter and brash at a warmer serving temperature, but I still like this beer. The look and aroma are fantastic. The taste and mouthfeel likely would be smoother and softer at a slightly cooler drinking temperature. That said, I still think this is a damn fine beer.

 

To me, this is the first time Synyster Gates' prog influence is really coming through. He's a super well-spoken and educated progressive musician, but I'd never really call A7X's music "prog" ... until this album.

Hell, if anything, I think they got poppier and poppier over time (literally the opposite of prog), and across the first three albums, Gates and Vengeance were way more about riffing and thrashy guitar wizardry (a la Megadeth) than they were about anything resembling a prog structure.

So I kind of think this was just time. Shadows is bored with rehashing the same old music, Gates has never had the chance to show off his prog leanings, and their drummer has now been with the band for about 8 years, so whatever influence he's bringing is probably just now bearing fruit (even if this album sounds like it was recorded with a drum machine).

I think it was overdue, if anything. We knew they could make good modern thrashy metalcore. They proved they could make good poppy metalcore (even if I don't particularly care for it). A bajillion bands can do all that. So what could they do that other bands couldn't? Man, if Nobody isn't a statement for that (and watching the live videos of it, holy crap, they nail it), I don't know what is. (Plus, they did a whole viral marketing thing for this album, which just screeeeeeams prog. )

 

I think it's a fine testament to NEBCO's prowess that even with significantly ramped up production and distro, it's not just their heralded beers (G-Bot, Fuzzy Baby Ducks) that continue to shine, but really all of their IPAs (Sea Hag, Face Hugger, Supernaut). Beyond their IPAs, Imperial Stout Trooper continues to crush, and I've had some recent batches of 668 that still remind me of a (lesser) Duvel clone.

 

...my lot in life...

 

...this is the fifth beer I've had from them...all I've rated 4+ overall...'Imperial Storm Trooper' the highest, '668 Neighbor of The Beast' next in line with three IPA variants next in line...so far so good with me as far as the brewery's offerings go...