Coronado Brewing Company Never Better American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.1% ABV (C$4.55 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 15-Oct-2018, acquired 17-Nov-2018, reviewed 18-Nov-2018)
Appearance: clear pale gold with two fingers of rocky white head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: ripe tropical fruit, dank pine, citrus, vanilla. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (9/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium bitter finish. (4/5)
Oh, I see: it’s not the beer that’s never better, it’s you, after a sip. Yeah, OK, I can buy that. I gotta say, I like this a whole bunch, even more than their new single IPA I had earlier this weekend. That’s hardly a surprise, given the hops are Vic Secret, Mosaic, and Citra – pretty much my absolute favourites. The notes across the top pretty much say it all: UNFILTERED | TROPICAL | DANK. To which I say, yes, please! The balance is superb, with lush tropical fruit, dank pine, and zesty citrus trading the lead with every sip. In addition, it’s almost a milkshake IPA, with occasional notes of a smooth vanilla sweetness reminiscent of added lactose, though I can’t find any brewer’s notes confirming that. You could do a lot worse than stocking your fridge with this as your go-to. (17/20)
8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
