I have been lucky enough to try this beauty of a DIPA both on tap at Kern and in the bottle. It's 8% ABV, and though it began as a one-off beer for their 5th anniversary, the brewers up at Kern liked it so much that they started brewing it as a rotating limited release. I haven't seen bottles for sale outside of the brewery, but it's possible they may distribute it in the future if they're increasing production of it.
Appearance: Light, clear straw color with minimal head that recedes at a moderate pace. Both from the tap and the bottle, there was decent lacing on the sides of the glass.
Smell: Spicy fruit, resin, grass. So much bold hop character just leaps off the nose. There is no sign of any malt or yeast aroma here at all.
Taste: There is fruit there, like orange and mango, but the predominant hop flavor that comes across here is pine and earthy resin. Drinking this beer just makes me want to go to the forest and sip it while basking under the foliage. The flavors are crisp, refreshing, and balanced. Despite the boldness of the notes here, it's never cloying or overwhelming.
Mouthfeel: Solid. Kern is so skillful at these hop-dominant brews. It's fairly full-bodied, but it still finishes dry and overall manages to be pretty refreshing and clean finishing.
Overall: This is a world-class DIPA that could stand with the best of them. If I had to choose, I still prefer Citra, but I'd be happy to get my hands on a bottle of this any day. Highly recommended for fans of the style.
5/5
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| Pint shot from 'field research' at Kern! LOOK WHO IS FANCY NOW |
Smell: Spicy fruit, resin, grass. So much bold hop character just leaps off the nose. There is no sign of any malt or yeast aroma here at all.
Taste: There is fruit there, like orange and mango, but the predominant hop flavor that comes across here is pine and earthy resin. Drinking this beer just makes me want to go to the forest and sip it while basking under the foliage. The flavors are crisp, refreshing, and balanced. Despite the boldness of the notes here, it's never cloying or overwhelming.
Mouthfeel: Solid. Kern is so skillful at these hop-dominant brews. It's fairly full-bodied, but it still finishes dry and overall manages to be pretty refreshing and clean finishing.
Overall: This is a world-class DIPA that could stand with the best of them. If I had to choose, I still prefer Citra, but I'd be happy to get my hands on a bottle of this any day. Highly recommended for fans of the style.
5/5
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