As a follow-on from Monday’s post about Whiplash, today’s two are from the Catalan client Oddity, which brews at Whiplash so counts as local for me. These cans haven’t been closer to the Mediterranean than Ballyfermot.
First it’s an IPA called He Got The Tunes. It’s a foamy job, taking up a chunk of my time with the pouring. “West Coast” they say, though it’s distinctly, and indistinctly, hazy. Hmm. Aroma-wise, you get a familiar soft mandarin and vanilla effect, and I’m happy to say that the lack of hoppy follow-through I noted in the Whiplash beers doesn’t happen here. Instead, you get your money’s worth: a sparky mix of citrus zest, pillowy juice and a slightly rough minerality from the floaty dregs; dry like plasterboard, but not quite as severe. Together, it works. There’s more than enough zingy hop freshness to counterbalance the dreggy murk. I give it a pass, though I’m sure haze aficionados will love it. Isn’t it nice that breweries are still making beer for them, almost a decade later?
Shadow Light, a double IPA, also calls itself “West Coast” but is, again, opaque; this time a dun orange colour. The flavour is nicely, clean, however, showcasing jaffa orange and candied lemon, with minimal heat from the 8% ABV. I think I’m within my rights to expect a decent kick of bitterness here, but there isn’t very much at all. After the initial sweet citrus, there’s a quick finish with only the faintest hint of zesty peel. I think I may have got lucky with the last one, because here it seems we’re back to Whiplash-brewed beers lacking in hop intensity and complexity. Perhaps the can wasn’t the freshest, though it still had four months to go on the best-before, but it tasted older: dulled by time. It’s an easy drinking fellow, and decent with it; but the fireworks are lacking. As double IPAs go, this one feels a little phoned-in.
That wraps it up for this round. These beers were fine, though not brilliant. My only real complaint is that they’re both IPAs. Other styles exist you know, guys.
