The haze has been lifted from our skies and our province is slightly less burny then it was a week ago, but the trend of hazy beer appears to be persisting. Â
Which is great! If there’s one fad I can get behind, it’s fruit-forward, murky beers in funky, brightly-coloured tall cans. These delicious and approachable beers are juicy and lush beers, oozing with gobs of tropical fruit flavour despite not having any fruit in them.
The haze craze is here to stay, so get used to it.
Moody Ales’ Huge Citrus is a great example of a fruity beer without any fruit in it. Here, the massive citrus and tropical fruit flavours come courtesy of Mosaic and Cascade hops. Hazy (a.k.a. New England) pale ales and IPAs are normally characterized by a thick, chewy body and residual sweetness, usually due to copious amounts of oats in the grain bill. However, brewer Sho Agawa decided to keep things West Coast instead: that means light bodied and dry. Agawa was named the B.C. Beer Awards’ homebrewer of the year twice before he went pro, so I trust his judgment, and so should you.
The result of his efforts is an endlessly quaffable, refreshingly light-bodied and well-balanced beer. The citrus fruit flavours are bold without being overly sweet, finishing dry and clean without being overly bitter. It’s light-bodied without being thin, somehow still maintaining the characteristic haze.
You’ll have no problems downing can after can of this stuff without any palate fatigue, making it a great beer to bring with you camping or to the beach.
Huge Citrus by Moody Ales (6.1 per cent, 35 IBU)
Appearance:Deep hazy amber with a fluffy white head.
Aroma: Massive citrus nose, tropical fruit, grapefruit, orange, tangerine, peach.
Flavour: Grapefruit, mandarin orange, peach, mango, citrus.
Body: Surprisingly light bodied for a hazy pale ale, with a clean, dry finish.
Pairs with: Barbecued ribs, garlic fries, $5 gas station sunglasses and scurvy.
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