Ecliptic Brewing Sixth Orbit Anniversary Release Hazy Plum IPA – American IPA at 8.5% ABV | 60 IBU (C$9.81 at Collective, 500 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 24-Jan-2020, reviewed 3-Feb-2020)
Appearance: slightly hazy but heavily particulate-laden pale amber with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: stone fruit, tropical fruit, citrus, caramel pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter slightly astringent finish. (3/5)
I dunno about “hazy” plum IPA – more like “chunky style”, if you ask me. Seriously, we’re not talking flakes, here, these bad boys have dimensions. Hell, I swear I could chew some of them, and I had to short pour to prevent the worst of the chunks entering the glass. I realize that’s a risk when working with fruit, but maybe they should either have filtered, or gone with a hazier yeast to hide those particular sins? There’s also a hint of astringency coming from the stone fruit, especially in the finish. On the up side, the stone fruit / plum flavour is well integrated with the tropical fruit and citrus from the hops, and the sweetness is restrained despite the emphatic fruit notes. It’s not without its charms, but overall it falls short in a lot of ways. (13/20)
6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
