Getting near the end of the box now and the selections continue to intrigue me. After the hydra, I was expecting another fruit blast, but not this time. The fruit are still very forward, but this time they blend and complement the hops. Unlike most of the offerings in the box, I feel like I could drink multiples of these in a sitting.
Hazy golden color. Citrus and passion fruit on the nose. Initial taste is more sour than expected. A lot of star fruit and some grapefruit bitterness. Just a bit like a sauvognon blanc. Not bad, but not my favorite IPA.
Poured pretty hazy for me. Lots of citrus on the nose. I don't quite get the mimosa vibe that folks are mentioning - maybe like a grapefruit mimosa? Some sourness. Some bitter, fruit rind type of taste. As it warms up, the citrus comes out a little more.
Down to my last few beers from the box. (After this, there's Mortalis, Funky Buddha and Beer Tape). On the nose, this is funky! It's pungent with a tropical stinkiness - almost like a Durian aroma. I think this might be the Starfruit? which I'm not entirely sure what it tastes like. There's pleasant passionfruit/hop aromas too, but I jumped to what stood out. Once you sip it, the stinky funk is gone. It's got these tropical fruit refreshing vibe, with a play between tart and sweet. One thing I appreciate is that I usually dislike passionfruit in beers, because of overpowering the flavors are. But here, I feel it's restrained and the bulk of the palate is very balanced. The one caveat is there's a distinct punch of harsh grapefruit-like bitterness in the aftertaste, which doesn't seem to jive with the rest of the sip. I don't hate it, but it seems less cohesive as a beer as a result. Still, I think the beer was successful overall [just had a less-successful fruited IPA last night by comparison] and am glad it was included in this Extreme Beer package.
My least liked beer in the box so far, and I’m not sure I see that changing. Really sour (could be a Sour IPA) and bitter, with a soapy hop aftertaste. Smelled fruity… I really got the passionfruit in the nose. But it really disappointed from there. Not a fan!
Last can from box. Enjoyable soury IPA that looks like a pseudo-New England IPA. Fruity aroma and taste with a sharp effervescent feel. Decent away to finish off the box.
Slowly making my way through the box. I found this one tart and tropical. Another decent beer from the collection.
My 4th beer from the box: 3.85/5 rDev +1% look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75 A: Pours an opaque murky bright yellow-ish orange (think very similar to overly ripe red mango) in color with light to moderate amounts of fine active visible carbonation rising along the edges of the glass and moderate bright yellow + pale orange + lemon yellow colored highlights. The beer has a two finger tall fizzy sudsy soapy white head that quickly reduces to a very small patch of very thin film covering approximately 5% of the surface of the beer and a very thin ring at the edges of the glass. Minimal amounts of lacing are observed. S: Moderate to strong aromas of tart starfruit along with moderate aromas of passionfruit. Slightly lighter than moderate aromas of juicy citrus/orange + tropical/papaya hops. Light aromas of biscuit + slightly sour wheat malts with a minimal amount of sugary sweetness and light to moderate amounts of tart lemon citrus lacto. T: Upfront there are slightly heavier than light flavors of biscuit + slightly sour wheat malts with a minimal amount of sugary sweetness and light to moderate amounts of tart lemon citrus lacto. That is followed by moderate to strong flavors of tart starfruit along with moderate flavors of passionfruit. Finally there are moderate flavors of juicy citrus/orange + tropical/papaya hops which impart minimal amounts of bitterness. Initially there is a moderate to strong amount of tartness/sourness that fades away slowly. M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Moderate amounts of acidic prickliness and astringency in the finish. O: Not the easiest beer to drink with the fairly intense tartness/sourness initially and the astringency in the mouthfeel though the alcohol is well hidden. Enjoyable if you like fairly aggressive tartness/sourness and tropical fruits. While I enjoy tropical fruits quite a bit, the tartness/sourness was a little over the top for me when combined with the harshness of the astringency.
...forgot to post my review from back in February (the 15th)... 3.83/5 rDev +0.5% look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75 Eye-appealing milky yellow body, bright and warm; relatively thin head, white and frothy. Initial smell is kind of off-putting yet opens up as it warms; develops into a tropical fruit mix, guava and orange. The taste exudes fresh citrus and pineapple; oh so slight malt presence in the background; tart and tangy. Medium-heavy body; very acidic and rough on the palate; juicy bite. The initial smell reminded me of rotted fruit, but it gave way to more pleasant sensations in short order. The taste reminds me of a orange juice / grapefruit blend, and actually very tasty. A very unique beer but not one I would go out of my way for again. Pouring temperature: 45 °F; canning data: 01/?5/22
Well, this one is rather interesting! After reading the reviews so far, I tried to approach this sour with an open mind. The smell is a tropical fruit drink with an unusual, secondary back odor. I suspect that this is from the Starfruit terpenes. It tastes a bit like a sour candy with some delayed bitterness. Overall, I am appreciating it as I go through the pour. While I may not spend time looking for this, I am glad that I tried it, though!
This one next. It's another interesting one, but one I'm not sure how to classify. Not too familiar with the fruit flavors it's going for, but, like several in this box, it reminds me of a cocktail. It's interesting, the tartness of the fruit, then bitterness after. Mentally confusing. It did remind me of orange juice or grapefruit juice - looks the part, and the most equitable comparison I could think of. Not my favorite, but I could see myself having it again. No problem having a second in one session. Good to finally try one from SingleCut. Unlike the others so far, some of their cans have been seen around here.
