Hazy IPAs probably arenât the final frontier of beer brewing, but the more experimental enthusiasts certainly do act like it. But are any of these complex IPAs with too much crap in them actually any good? Weâll be the judge of that!
Se7en Deadly Trends, Loowit Brewing
Speaking of putting weird stuff in beer, Loowitâs Se7en Deadly Trends has pies (like, full pies) in itâor âFruit brut pastry,â according to the can.
ââBrutâ means champagne,â said a former beer sommelier who was wingman-ing some of our tastings.
âIt says full pies,â I said. âThey add whole pies, that they make inhouse, to the kettle during boil.â
âIt just tastes tart,â the beer sommelier said.
âIâm getting pie,â I said moments later. âPie aftertaste.â
We both agreed there were passionfruit notes in the Se7en Deadly Trends. But still... what is in those pies? If you were hoping to taste buttery crust, youâre out of luck. This is a tart, middle-body hazy. A whole lotta fuss, with some follow-through.
Dream Pop with Blackberry, Peach, and Vanilla, Modern Times
Okay, so this is juice. It looks like juice, and tastes like delicious, thick kombucha, but if Modern Times wants to call it beer, then I will come along. Dream Pop is a hazy fruited IPA, and is Modern Timesâ take on the creamy milkshake IPA. (Warning! If youâre vegan, let the term âmilkshakeâ alert you to the possibility of lactose sugar!) But since Modern Times is a vegan brewery, they create the milkshake-like haziness with a frickinâ boatload of peaches and blackberries, then tie the flavors together with vanilla.
Lifeâs a Peach and Then You Die, Riverbend Brewing
Of course the beer that Mercury News Reporter Blair Stenvick recommended turned out to be incredible. Lifeâs a Peach is a milkshake IPA that could unite the armies of France, or, as my beer sommelier put it, âThis is a beer my mom would like.â This hazy IPA could coalesce a wide spread of beer drinkers with its perfect hint of peach and its easy existence between sweet and tart. Both Lifeâs a Peach and its brewery sibling Hawaiian Crunk contain lactose sugar, which may explain their perfect creaminess. Hawaiian Crunk is like a creamy fruit punch, which Iâm not sure anyone ever asked for, but here we areâand Iâm a fan. After tasting a field of beers that promised a pine aftertaste, I finally tasted pine in Hawaiian Crunk, a beer that never promised it. What a delightful sensorial blend!
Boba Bubbler, Matchless Brewing
Well, thatâs a taste. Certainly a taste. âAre you getting petroleum?â I asked the beer sommelier. âIâm getting a smoky coconut,â she replied. Neither of us tasted the tapioca pearls or brown sugar we were promised. We both agreed that Boba Bubbler is malty, though.
Orange Whip, Fortside Brewing
Though it bears no resemblance to the delicious frozen treat of my youth nor the cocktail of my adult years, Fortside Brewingâs Orange Whip does bring a respectable level of creaminess. My complaint: Whereâs the orange? The grapefruit comes through in a pleasant way. I declare this a luscious citrus haunting.
Haze of Our Lives, Old Town Brewing
âCan you note my disappointment at the false advertising?â the beer sommelier asked, after we expressly picked up this hazy for the hilarity of its can, whose branding promised a soap-opera level of âflowering drama and bold finishes.â
âIt has a mouth-numbing quality,â the beer sommelier assigned. âLike dental surgery.â
Darkest Day, Matchless Brewing
This âdark hazy IPAâ is not very hazy-like. The only similarity might be the thickness, but it seems to more closely resemble a stout, but without a stoutâs potential for sweetness. âThis is a winter warmer,â the beer sommelier decreed. Darkest Day is quite bitter and malty, but still satisfying.
Little Juice Smoothie, Three Magnets Brewing Co.
Smells like juice, but tastes like oatmeal? Three Magnetsâ Little Juice Smoothie has a lot of delightful contradictions and complexities. Itâs malty and has a dark, smoky taste. We end up describing this hazy as an oatmeal cookie beer.
Magnetic Fields, Fort George Brewery
This last beer is merely âhazy inspired,â but itâs a brand-new seasonal, so the time seemed right to include it. The gorgeous can art attracted us, but the light, bright beer left us satisfied. Still, this beer brought a lot of delightful pineapple associations and a full hoppy flavor.