New Level Brewing Guava Lord – American IPA at 5% ABV | 30 IBU (C$4.41 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 13-Feb-2020, reviewed 13-Feb-2020)
Appearance: slightly dirty opaque pale gold with a thin fizzy head that retains poorly, no lacing. (2/5) Aroma: tropical fruit (guava), citrus, caramel, light chilli pepper. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart, mild peppery spice. (7/10) Palate: medium body tending slightly thin, moderate-lively carbonation, sweetish short duration moderate bitter lingering spicy finish. (3/5)
I don’t want to be too hard on this, because it’s genuinely refreshing. I particularly like the hint of chilli pepper, which can be so hard to get right – too little and it’s lost, too much and it grows until it overwhelms. But, man, it’s ugly, and the thinnish body and lively carbonation don’t match well with the flavours. Much like the base Haze Lord, I think the aroma and overall experience would benefit from a thicker body and maybe a slightly higher ABV. (13/20)
6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
