Cabin Brewing Company Pink Popper – American IPA at 6.5% ABV | 38 IBU (C$5.04 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 2-Sep-2020, acquired 17-Sep-2020, reviewed 20-Sep-2020)
Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of fine off-white head, good retention and moderate spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, green chiles, earthy vegetal. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry bitter lingering spicy finish. (4/5)
I’m kind of relieved it’s not actually pink – not that there’s anything necessarily wrong with that, but for me it often feels a bit of a bridge too far regarding adjuncts when you end up with pink beer. I’m also relieved that they got the chile balance right on this one: despite the aroma being fairly emphatic (though to my gringo nose it’s as much green jalapeño, as Aji Amarillo / yellow Peruvian) the spice level is actually quite restrained, and it takes the full pint before it really takes hold. Any more would overwhelm the tropical fruit and base ale, and any less would be firmly in “what’s the point?” territory. It’s not their best, by any means, but it’s a solid effort and an interesting change from the typical. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
