8.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Got as a gift from TheFugitive. 16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 6/4/2019. Pours very hazy medium golden amber color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Thick foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, honeydew melon, red apple, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, lightly toasted biscuit, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/tropical/fairly earthy hops and bready malt notes; with big strength. Taste of huge mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, honeydew melon, red apple, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, lightly toasted biscuit, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Light pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, honeydew melon, red apple, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, lightly toasted biscuit, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/fairly earthy hops and bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. A bit crisp finishing. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy/sticky, and fairly resinous/rindy balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5.75%. Overall this is a fantastic NEAPA. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/fairly earthy hops and bready malt flavors; very smooth and pretty refreshing to drink with the mellowly bitter/drying finish; nicely soft and not aggressive. Fantastic Cascade, Comet, XP06300 profile. Extremely juicy, vibrant, and fairly dank/earthy hop complexity; with a great balanced wheat/oat/malt backbone. Light residual sweetness with lingering resin dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and spot on style example as expected.