Brouwerij West Picnic Lightning

__Aroma:__ “Grapefruit, tangerine, herbal and very slight bready malt. Straight up guava, pineapple, lime peel. A hint of alcohol, but this is an easy crusher on the beach.” __Flavor:__ “Strongly lemon and grapefruit. The alcohol is fairly present for being a single IPA, but it transitions to a smooth welcomed bitterness that embraces you like an old friend. Drys out very nicely, and the lingering bitterness fades rapidly. Medium bitterness helps accentuate the perceived citrus acidity.” __Overall:__ “There’s a nice blend of citrus with a bit of tropical in the backround. The beer is fairly well balanced with a firm bitterness that isn’t harsh or overpowering. Haze and color are spot on, and the mouthfeel isn’t too thick from an over-addition of wheat or oats. It’s missing the lush fruit ‘wallop’ on the nose, but it’s still a great beer.”

__Aroma:__ “Fruit salad up front with pineapple, pear, peach, and mango. A nice touch of dankness keeps it from getting too much into the produce section.” __Flavor:__ “A healthy balance of tropical fruit juice (orange and pineapple), dank dispensary character, and a healthy amount of bitterness (a characteristic sometimes lacking in New England IPAs). A pleasant amount of soft malt sweetness rounds everything out, but the bitterness carries through, just to remind you, that despite the haze, this is still an IPA first and foremost.” __Overall:__ “An excellent marriage of between those overly juicy New England IPAs and those overly bitter West Coast IPAs. This beer finds a wonderful balance in highlighting hops flavors with touch of soft malt sweetness and assertive hops bitterness.”

__Aroma:__ “Pineapple, apricot, orange, mango, citrus pith, and maybe a hint of banana. Minerality is present and blends into fruit punch–type flavors. Fairly rich for the style.” __Flavor:__ “Medium body and chewiness with a complex citrus hops character (orange, lemon, blood orange). Malt bill supports the high hopping rate well, yielding a soft mouthfeel and restrained bitterness that doesn’t overpower the juicy hops flavors.” __Overall:__ “The palate is right down the middle for New England–style IPA, with tropical, citrus, and stone-fruit hops character. Tasty beer with nicely balanced bitterness and sweetness.”