Epic Armageddon IPA.

With the rash of New Zealand hops being used these days, I thought a New Zealand beer might be an interesting change of pace. Clearly, they are apt on marketing abroad as the top of their label proclaims "ALL THE WAY FROM NEW ZEALAND". I wonder what folks in New Zealand think when they see this. To be contextually appropriate, I am now listening to Flight of the Conchords.

It's business time.

The whiff is rich and malty with a almost resin-y with hops. Very nice. That's foreplay. Sweet, green, and grassy with lots of lacing. I know this bottle must have been sitting on the shelf forever, but it still smells almost fresh, not dried or pellet-y. But when we get down to business socks, it is not as epic as its namesake. And that's the unfortunate curse of many beers that insist on their epicness, that they will wreck your palate, and otherwise cause catastrophic devastation and calamities. No one wants that in their mouth anyway.

The hop character, while not a cataclysm, is thin and sharp, evident and rather firm. It's not necessarily metallic, but more akin some more organic surfacing material around a full, more-of-a-pale-ale body. It has a session feel despite being the odd 6.66%ABV. It's also a curious format, 1 pint and .9 fl oz. Everything's backwards on that side of the world. That being said, it's a very solid, retro IPA, without some of the more floral or wide-ranging hop complexities that's more commonplace today. Ultimately, I think it's lacking a solid malt backbone, which makes it very drinkable without being filling. The strong-enough hop character is just enough to carry its flimsy compatriot.

At the end of the day, it'll never be a concert flautist, but it's a decent, drinkable beer, depending on the street. I'm not sure if I would want to sit down and drink this on its own, but it might be a good opener for a night.

• Appearance: Clear, slightly darker golden straw. Fluffy, finger head which settles down a bit but leaves plenty of lacing.
• Smell: A rich hoppy, malty, aroma, fresh and grassy.
• Taste: A bit might thinner than one might expect from the smell. Thin, hard hops but without the malts to fill it out leaves it so-so.
• Mouthfeel: Thin on taste but the mouthfeel is a voluminous pale ale. Not uncomfortably filling though.
• Drinkability and Overall: Based on feel, it's sessionable, but at 6.66%ABV, it's slightly steep. I just wasn't terribly impressed. less than epic.