Society & Solitude #05

Growler at Leighton - thanks! It pours cloudy, milky light orange, with medium white head. The nose is an explosion of fruit: mango, orange, tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple chunks and passion fruit, as well as some aniseed/fennel notes in the background and creaminess. The taste is tangerine, zesty orange, creamy, passion fruit, grapefruit, light herbal notes, straw and subtle spice, with a long, dry finish. Medium body and fine carbonation. Alcohol is very well hidden. Mellow, delicate and very well balanced. Delicious and well executed.

Growler shared at the Mini Tasting, London. Pours cloudy yellow-gold with a rich, frothy white cap. Loads of sweaty hops on the nose, light pee, dank grapefruit. Medium sweet flavor, rich sweaty grass, ripe pale citrus fruits, subtle biscuity pale malts, tight grapefruit. Medium bodied with fine, massaging carbonation. Juicy hop finish, dank citrus, sweat, pee, moderate sweetness, very slight citrusy tang. Just delicious stuff. Stupidly drinkable.

750 ml growler thanks to Adam. Tulip shows a grapefruit juice color. Big soapy white head, excellent lace with strong retention. Smells just like grapefruit juice mixed with a slightly Earthy hop. The smell leads you to believe it is going to be extremely hoppy and bitter. I got just the opposite from the flavor. Big grapefruit flavors with bitterness that hides. Fresh juicy, floral hops with a nice malt balance. Not overly sweet and not so bitter it kills your taste buds. Balance is perfect here. ABV is hidden real well. Awesome stuff.

On tap at Hill Farmstead on a cool day. This was just tapped a few minutes ago and I got 3 growlers + a tasting. Growlers were $10 /750ML

A - Bright orange, very cloudy with a nice fine puffy white 2-finger head of carbonation that settled pretty fast. Pretty good lacing. Looks a lot like tangerine rinds.

S - Wow. Big juicy citrus explosion on the nose. Mild level of bitterness, hints of Simcoe, grapefruit, tangerine and pears.

T - Another WOW. This beer coats the tongue and leaves a tingling sensation. It’s big, bright and tastes like fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, hints of honey with a nice mix of bitter and floral finish.

M - Nicely balanced level of carbonation and I expected Heady Topper levels of maltiness at nearly 8% ABV but the alcohol is well hidden. Only after swallowing do you get any hint of booze above 5%.

O - Society 2 was my favorite in this series. Society 4 came VERY close. 5 has blown them all out of the water. Shaun...please make more of this. A LOT more.