Crystal Zwickle (Brewdeck Release)
Crux Fermentation Project in Bend, Oregon, United States 🇺🇸
Belgian Style - Blonde / Pale / Amber Regular|
Score
7.08
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Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Medium-light orange with a white head. Aroma of soft flora, citrus, and light earth notes. Medium bodied. The lighter style ale really lets the fresh hop profile shine. Soft citrus and floral notes along with light spice. A soft but supportive malt backbone lets the fruity notes shine. This works a lot better for a fresh hop than IPAs since it lets the "fresh flavors" shine without being beat down by too much malt or too many hops. Would love to see more brewers expand away from fresh hop IPAs.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
On tap hazy light orange full dens off white head creamy with sheets of even lacing. Pale soft malts. Light and sheath. Some sharp bite and a lingering hop sting. Soft unfiltered feel.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Draft at BitterCreek. Light haze, big creamy head, spotty lacing. Aroma leans on some citrusy hops, taste follows but still offers a nice heavy weight Keller lager body. Hops just adds some crispness on the finish. Really well done.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
On draught at Brouwer’s Cafe, 11/8/15.
Not sure what the hell this is, but that’s fine, it’s good to be experimental. There is a haziness to it but still showing moderate clarity. Pale amber in color and with a large white head that is well-retained.
Melon, candied orange, strawberry, light mango and a bit of pine that is not bothersome at all. Malts add light honey as well as fresh dough and there’s an intangible element to the nose, almost plaster or mineral-like. Smells like a cool draught of mountain water...
The flavor is incredibly well balanced with just enough body adding a chewiness, that employs both light breadiness and graininess but also has a slight slickness to it. Tight carbonation and great attenuation yield a medium-full body that has plenty of crispness on the finish. Watermelon, ripe apricots, moderate citrus and some dank, earthy flavors that are all really well-done. No obtuse bitterness whatsoever. Not sure how GT2 found it "very sweet for the style". Not even sure what the style is, but I’m highly turned off by anything overly sweet and this was not overly sweet at all.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
On tap at Bend pub. Pours out a crisp copper topped with a tanish head. Nose is a nice hop touch great malt combo. Taste is crisp hops a well balance malt.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
On tap at APEX. Pours a clear copper color with a medium white head. The aroma is oranges, some light sweet toffee. The flavor is sort of like a fresh hop lager with dusty malts, some bitterness, oranges, soft, some light yeast. Nice brew.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
On tap at Apex, pours a cloudy golden orange with a small white head. Aroma is fairly subtle, bringing out notes of skunky and herbal hops. Flavour brings out Belgian yeast, skunky / earthy hops, and biscuity malts. Fairly strong stuff, specifically the pot-like hops. Very pungent and flavourful. Great stuff.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5
Citrusy nose, Smells like a pale ale. Looks and tastes like a zwickel. Rather stronger than the usual kellerbier. Malty with a hop tinge