S.Y.C. Brewing Co. Hopsycle IPA – American IPA at 6.0% ABV (C$4.45 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 14-Apr-2021, acquired 23-Apr-2021, reviewed 24-Apr-2021)
Appearance: hazy straw with two fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: tropical and stone fruits, citrus, melon, pale malt, light cat piss. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry clean lightly tart finish. (4/5)
When I noticed the date stamp on this one, I had to prioritize getting to it – hopefully at only two weeks old, this is the next best thing to on tap at the brewery. During the initial pour I thought there was quite a bit of cattiness, but that seemed to boil off quickly and leave behind a nice blend of tropical and stone fruits, backed up by citrus and melon/lychee. The malt is completely unobtrusive here, and it’s kind of rare to see spelt in the grain bill, but I’ll take it. The label calls this a dessert beer, but I’m not seeing it: the sweetness is actually quite restrained behind dominant hops, and the finish is off-dry. The brewer notes reference a “new dry-hopping technique” without specifying what it is – whirlpool? secondary? hop rocket? – but regardless, it’s working for me. (I sort of felt that this one was pretty much par for the course for this brewery, whom I thought was generally pretty reliable, and a quick check of my personal stats bear that out – for n=20, μ=7.5 & σ=0.56.) (16/20)
8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze
