Style: Brut IPA

ABV: 9.0 IBU: 26.0

95/100

Aroma:	12
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	19
Mouthfeel:	4

Metazoa Brewing Unicorn Splash

What the brewers say

Flaked wheat and rice allow for the very dry character of this beer. Bittered with Citra hops and relying on Simcoe and Mosaic for its aroma.

What our panel thought

Aroma of (maybe overripe) pineapple and dirt. Some earthy or wet hay also. Medium malt aromas of toast-ed white bread in the background. Hops flavor strong and fruity with stone fruit and tropical notes. Light malt barely supports the medium hops bitterness, with light lingering astringency. Hops flavor in aftertaste turns earthy and musty.

What our editors thought

Bold but bright, the nose is a bit like sun shining on pineapple and guava next to a white-wine spritzer with a citrus twist. Building this level of flavor into such a weightless beer is a feat, and the perfectly matched, very light bitterness still offers structure and rhythm to the airy sip. A considerable feat, thoroughly well executed.

Review printed in: Let's Play IPA (Aug-Sept 2019) (View All Issues)

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“Coconut hop profile sideswipes right up next to citrus pith both in the nose and flavor. Beautiful and pillowy soft body; delicate sweetness underlies a mix of tropical hop character. Understated, but very well crafted and balanced.”

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“Hints of earthy coconut dance over tropical-fruit notes of pineapple, mango, and orange in the aroma. Complex fruit flavors vie with marshmallow malt. Lots of fresh mango, juicy pear, guava, and light lemon. Soft mouthfeel, but a light warmth.”

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**Aroma:** “The aroma—amazing! Flowers, mint, spruce, pine. Great complexity. Citrus, pine, resin, earthy, some fruitiness, almost honeydew/cucumber-like. Floral notes—maybe chamomile. A little grainy sweetness.” **Flavor:** “Big juicy American hops up front with notes of melon, slight orange creamsicle, grapefruit, tangerine, and a touch of pineapple. Bitterness is nice and lingering to carry the hop profile through. Caramel pops up in finish. Some sweetness in background of brown sugar or honey. There is this musty funk that might be a yeast thing—dirt? It’s what it needed to not be cookie cutter bland.” **Overall:** “Close to perfect. All about the hops. Malt stands back and supports. Very good display of the fruit character in the hops balancing the hop bitterness. It had some sexiness to it. It’s fantastic.”

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