Been seriously slacking on posting beer reviews here, but then again I've been finding myself drinking less as of late. I've tried a lot of stuff over the past month or so, but I'm just gonna hit the highlights:
Grimm Afterimage came back around. After having a few good, but forgettable batches this one is back to its former glory. Perfect balance of fruit notes mixed with earthy bitter notes. Insanely soft and drinkable. No alcohol presence whatsoever. If this is the quality they're gonna be pumping out of their new space then consider me a full-fledged fanboy. Desert island status.
Sand City International Playboy. Hopped with Vic Secret and 007 hops. This beer really reminded me of Pile of Crowns by LIC Beer Project, which is an incredible beer. Peach, pineapple and citrus were the over-arching flavors. Fairly thick mouthfeel. One of the best Sand City cans to date.
Other Half x Equilibrium Einstein's Daydream. This is basically Equilibrium's recipe for MC^2 that was given the "daydream" treatment from Other Half (additional oats and lactose). Tasted as advertised. Took a nice tropical juice bomb and smoothed it out with some creamy fullness. Great collab.
Other Half x Rigs of Dad Mellow Tone N' Juice. After looking at the Instagram account, I'm still scratching my head as to what Rigs of Dad actually is
. Either way, this one was a banger. Straight juice with not much bitterness to speak of. Released alongside Einstein's Daydream, and I think I preferred this one. I underestimated it going in, but I'll be damned.
Hudson Valley Horizon Loop. Sour DIPA with wheat, oats, lactose, apricots, lemon myrtle, and Simcoe. Definitely up there as one of my favorite can designs of all time. The beer itself is also fantastic. Apricots and lactose play really well together. Hudson Valley has really nailed the balance between creamy and tart, rather than full-on sour. Stuff like this is gonna really hit the spot once Summer is in full-effect.
Other Half x Cellarmaker Spicy Meatball. This one doesn't have lactose, but it was still really smooth and creamy. Think I read they upped the oats on this? Not sure, but it sounds about right. Galaxy-heavy. Tropical fruits all day on this. This one was slept-on.
Root & Branch Everyone Stands Beneath Their Own Dome of Heaven. Hopped with Citra, Galaxy, and Motueka. This one really impressed me. I could keep giving similar descriptions to what I've been giving above, but the big stand-outs to this were the mouthfeel and the finish. Felt like it coated your whole mouth, yet finished freakishly smooth. I was skeptical if they could keep the momentum up, but each can is better than the last. A new challenger has emerged.
Hudson Valley Strawberry-Banana Silhouette. Sour "brunch" IPA with oats, wheat, strawberries, bananas, citra, and galaxy. Basically just a 5% version of their regular fare. The past Silhouette variants had lactose, but the recent cans don't. I personally think a beer with these flavors would have benefited greatly from its addition. Taste is 85/15 strawberry to banana. Good ratio for a beer like this. The banana adds a bit of creaminess, but it an extra boost would have been appreciated. Nevertheless, still drank and tasted awesome. A strawberry Silhouette with lactose would probably be incredible. I hope Hudson Valley is reading this.
Cheers, NT.
jbug88
Whats the general consensus if you are seeing one? Worth the hype for them? I feel its worth a drive once in awhile and $12-$15/four pack, but truly beyond that, its a lateral move against the better offerings your state has to offer. Heck, I was 90 min. away in March and had no true urge to drive to try. I guess if its at your doorstep or neighborhood with a small markup, its an easy choice just to buy. Its not a bad beer set, or mediocre, but its not all that worth the allure IMHO.
