Style: Festbier

ABV: 5.9

88/100
Aroma: 10
Appearance: 3
Flavor: 18
Mouthfeel: 5

Cerebral Brewing Anomaly Detection

What the brewers say

“Notes of wildflower honey, sesame bagel, orange marmalade.”

What our panel thought

“In the aroma, light floral and herbal hops. Hint of orange and pear. Moderate levels of fresh bread dough and bread crust. Malt flavor is mostly biscuit and pie crust with a bit of caramel. Light pear, orange, and orange-peel notes. Finish is a touch sweet. Medium- low bitterness balances.”

What our editors thought

“Tropical-floral honey in the aroma, sweet and pungent. Lime-and-yuzu zest bitterness leads the top of the sip, sweet yet structured against the significant malt sweetness.”

Review printed in: Best in Beer 2023 (View All Issues)


REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Cerebral Brewing DDH Hollow Fang

“Aroma has a soft and velvet-like texture with oozing tropical fruit and citrus notes. Those qualities flow across the palate with an almost smoothie-like hop experience. Orange notes, leaning pineapple. Soft and delicate, if simple finish.”

Cerebral Brewing Ripping Through Dimensions

“Bursts of key lime and guava in the aroma. Guava is up front in the flavor and has a spicy phenolic character toward the end. Clove or white pepper phenolic doesn’t detract but adds character. The hop levels and bitterness might be too heavy for its weight class. Punchy for a pale ale.”

Victory Brewing Company Headwaters Pale Ale

**Aroma:** “Floral hops aroma meets medium sweet malt with biscuit notes verging on caramel. Light esters of pear or peach and very subdued citrus notes. Mild floral hops, with a fair amount of peach. Musty yeast aromatics, low orange peel hops, lovely honey-bread crust malt, low but noticeable.” **Flavor:** “Full bodied with a sweeter malt finish and hops bitterness to match the body. Hops are mostly piney and resinous with a touch of lemon. Moderate hops flavor—peach, pear, and some cherry, with a proper bitter finish. Initial flavor is much more simple than aromatics suggest—a good surprise. Lovely.” **Overall:** “Well crafted, balanced pale ale. Hops flavor lingers into aftertaste with juicy citrus notes and fresh pine boughs. Right down the center of the style, an archetypal example. Carb makes the hops pop, and then the bitterness lingers. Great West Coast hops character. Nicely balanced beer. Stylewise it may be a bit bitter overall, but the malt complexity backs it up well.”

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