Thanks go out to @lnashsig for a chance to have another crack at this one. I last time that I drank this was when I was in Houston last summer, but to be honest, I was pretty sure I had a couple of older bottles. This is much fresher and a much different experience.

Pour is as expected (in general terms), but definitely above average for the style. Nice clarity on the copper/orange body, and a healthy looking bone white head. Nice retention, nice lace.

Nose has some big hop ‘C’ notes – good.

The initial tastes are really quite sweet. Not too sweet, but noticeably so. It’s obviously a hoppy beer – duh – but it is very light, very smooth and extremely drinkable. Honey soaked satsumas with generous amounts of white pepper. It’s much more delicious than that description sounds, and it works tremendously well.

It astonishing that thus is sitting in the glass at 9%. The ABV is incredibly well hidden, and much more drinkable than many such beers often are. Clean and rounded nicely, the sweetness is definitely a feature but it’s never cloying or tiring. This strikes me a beer that is skilfully crafted.

Very well put together and quite gentle and surprisingly subtle in its delivery. It has some West Coast elements, but it never gets anywhere near the intensity of many similar beers.A light touch on such a potentially bruising beast.