Cloudburst Brewing Not My Problem

“Bright and tropical at the start, mango, lychee. Hint of pepper, mint. Rich in the mouth, more tropical flavors but with enough body to keep it from being like juice. Herbaceous and, unfortunately, vegetal at the finish.”

“Dark berries, rhubarb, and lemon blossoms. The sip nearly convinces one is eating lemon-blueberry muffins. Firm bitterness on the right part of the palate shows modern IBU restraint, and the dry finish leaves one wanting another sip.”

Aroma: “Hops burst to the face. Grapefruit, lemon, orange, peach, mango, pineapple, strawberry—all of the tropical fruits that shouldn’t ever be in a helles. Pine and slight dankness. Malt plays second fiddle, obviously.” Flavor: “Rich tropical-fruit blend with a superclean malt backbone. Subtle biscuit, bready malt flavors that quickly give way to dry citrus hops notes of lemongrass, orange peel, and grapefruit. Finishes with a smooth fruity bitterness that lingers pleasantly with a slight stickiness.” Overall: “The dry hopping is well executed given the light and clean body the brewer started with. It’s a tasty beer, but it’s hard to call it a helles in any fashion. It’s quite citrusy and crisp and finishes like you just took a bite of an orange and got some peel with it. I love the concept of a ‘citrus-forward helles,’ but I’m not sure that style lends itself to this combination of flavors.”