"Holy Hop, Batman, this beer has aroma." Hops are casted nine different times, it’s a breath-deep-and-shudder-with-pleasure kind of scent that’s all from the Citra hops. With a high alpha acid of 11%, Citra has a cacauphony of flavours and aromas --Citrus, passion fruit, grapefruit, lime, melon, lychee fruit, pineapple, mango, and papaya – and dominates this beer.
Smashbombs olfactory tropical explosion shockwaves your face every time you lift the meringue foam towards you. It’s like the ecru-coloured top of a beer pie before it gives up and grips the glass. You can see the Victory malt’s signature in the amber lights in what is primarily a deep golden beer. And, yes, don’t be fooled --there’s malt going on here, too, as you’ll see in the firey body of this ale that makes Smashbomb Atomic look like it radiates its own energy.
With the first taste, Smashbomb’s 70 IBUs are pronounced. This brew is a little bitter, but bitter like a grapefruit with three tablespoons of sugar on top. It’s also incredibly drinkable. The oddity that’ll keep you tipping the glass is that as this citrus peel front subsides, you actually gleen the sweet flavours of the Victory and Crystal malts. Then, as the bread-puddin’ bicuity sweetness of the malts are chased by the dry, tropical flavour of Citra and the fruit punch bouquet is all in your face with each sip, it’s all is so damn intriguing, you’ll be driven to keep on sampling...and sampling.