Todd The Axe Man

This beer pours a solid orangeish-gold hue with quite a bit of haze, which in an IPA usually suggests dry hopping. The head is off-white and lasts long enough to get a few sips in before it disappears. The aroma is stunningly bright and strong. I could smell the tremendous hops emanating from the beer while it sat on the table in front of me. As it approached my nose, rich aromas of mango, bright orange-like citrus, and some pineapple came into focus. The bready and biscuity malt aroma takes a back seat, as it should. The flavor is very nice. You get a full-on assault of tropical fruit hop flavors: Lots of mango and orange again, and just a little floral push in the finish. The bitterness is my favorite aspect of this beer. While it does a great job of balancing the malt, it’s also extremely soft and rounded. The biscuity malt flavor mirrors the aroma with just a slight touch of sweetness. There is a noticeable alcohol presence but it’s neither hot nor harsh. While slightly sweet up front, the beer finishes nice and dry. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied with medium carbonation. The alcohol does offer up some warmth, mostly on the exhale. There is a nice creamy texture to the beer as you drink. Overall, all I can say is that I have had many of the quintessential “world-class” examples of this style, and this beer is on par with all of them. Aside from a bit of excessive haze, even for a dry-hopped IPA, I cannot find anything in this beer that I would change. It is well-made and features great ingredient choices. This is a beer I would actively seek out with a vengeance, and can't recommend highly enough.