So here's a tasty beer I enjoyed a few days ago....a Mad Squirrel Aztec Mountain IPA, clocking in at 6.2% alcohol.
It's got that hazy, golden-orange thing going on, big, foamy white head (oo er missus), classic for an unfiltered or dry-hopped IPA.
First Impressions: Proper Hazy
This isn't one of those crips and clear bears, it's proper hazy and a nice head, and a good strong tropical fruit smell, which is a good start!
When you give it a sniff, you get a lot of tropical fruit – mango, pineapple, a little bit of citrus peel. It’s the kind of smell that signals lots of hops added late in the brewing process, not just bitterness for bitterness' sake. Mad Squirrel says it's unfiltered for maximum flavour, and you can instantly believe that. This beer definitely wants your attention.
It's actually very tasty - bitter but sweet, nice balance!
And this beer may be 6% but it's not too sickly, which can be risk once you go up to the 6 mark, it's just a well-balanced flavour bomb, really.
That said, you're not going to be guzzling this all day. One can is nice; two would be plenty for most people. The combination of the alcohol, the body, and the hops means it fills you up pretty fast. This is definitely a sit down and really enjoy kind of beer, not sessionable I wouldn't say!