The Substance Ale

Can thanks to Jeremy. Pours a cloudy orange gold with medium frothy white head that lasts. The aroma is earthy hop and grass. Medium mouth, juicy hop, pine, citrus, light bitterness, crushable, very good.

Draught at the King’s Head Pub, 3/6/16.
Luminous, NE IPA hazy/soupy golden/honeydew colored body is topped by a solid white head showing strong retention.
Juicy, of course, in the nose, but with a strong white grapefruit element and resulting acidity. Light floral notes make their way in and it grows quite heady/perfumey and the juice character dries out leaving dry pineapple and such on the finish. Some lightly biscuity malts sit behind, but never interrupt. Not quite the sheer juice bomb of, say, Julius or Congress Street, but certainly very respectable. No alcohol or flaw.
And so it goes in the mouth; tons of citrus alongside more dry tropical fruit notes, with lightly biscuity malt providing an almost chewy texture. Engaging, tight carbonation and strong attenuation. No alcohol no flaw. Just a bit too citrus dominated and stark, compared to some of the best. Could actually stand to have just a touch more maltiness to it, as well. Still a very enjoyable, easy-drinking NE IPA.

Pours hazy grapefruit into a shaker. Bright white soapy head with medium retention recedes leaving spider lacing. Garlic and tropical fruit aromas. Dry with sweet caramel and mango upfront turning to garlic and onion before the lasting resin finish.

Poured from a can. Aroma has a light cracker malt backbone. Moderate hop notes with some pineapple, tropical fruit and melon. Some light citrus and moderate dank notes balance out the fruit. Pours a very murky, pale straw color with a medium sized, moderately thick, white head that exhibits good retention as it slowly recedes. Medium high lacing and small legs. Flavor is slightly sweet but rather dry with some cracker and bready notes. Moderately strong bitterness that lingers in the finish. Moderately strong hop flavors with melon, mango, tropical fruit, light citrus notes, and moderate dank and resinous notes. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Low astringency and low alcohol warmth. Overall, a pretty nice IPA, but I was expecting a bit more hops for a NE IPA. A solid beer though and very tasty, but ugly.

Can shared at CBC Clapham, 2/10/2015. Many thanks to Scopey for this one. Murky yellow / straw coloured pour with a lasting sticky white head. Aroma is spicy hop, white wheat, sticky hop with a little lemon. Flavour is composed of straw pithy lemon, wheat and grassy hop. Palate is grainy, highish carbonation to drying finish.

2nd October 2015
Craft Clapham. Can share. Route 66 event with most of the London crew. Thanks to Paul . Cloudy yellowish - gold beer, good cream colour head. Palate is airy, dry and crisp. Minerals. Light seltzer. Thin malts. Some creamy sweetness. Bitter piney hops. Little yellow grapefruit. Some citric pith and orange. Dry finish. A bit dry but bright hops. 3.7

7th August 2017
Mother Kelly's. Keg. Smooth malts, light creamy sweetness. Good spicy orange and lemon hop, some tangerine and orange peel as well. Good pine and a touch of hop skunk. More spicy citrus on the finish. Spicy linger. Very nice.

Can split at Route CBC, CBC Clapham, 02/10/15, big thanks for Bropey for more of these here hops. Murky pale yellow with a big old off white head that retains well. Nose carries dank tunes, pissoi hop, tangerine, mango, straw, juicy citrics, light pine needle. Taste comprises skunky licks, mango, grapefruit, pine, roasted bread. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with a well balanced level of hop bitterness. Solid IPA.

Can shared at Craft Beer Co. Clapham during Route CBC - London. Thanks to Paul. Pours cloudy light yellow with a creamy white head. The nose holds pissy and pithy hops, citrus fruits, grapefruit, lemon. Medium sweet flavor with some flinty minerals, yeast, dry pale bread, grapefruit pith, lemon rind, hay. Light to medium bodied with average carbonation. Finishes clean, with further minerals, dry pale bread, light juicy lemon, citrus rind, grapefruit. Very nice beer.