Style: Hazy IPA
ABV: 7.2%
IBU: 25
Joe’s Take
This Monday’s NC beer of the week is “Cloud Rise” hazy IPA from Blowing Rock Brewing in Hickory, NC. Nick and I enjoyed these on my back porch on a sunny afternoon, probably one of my ideal locations to enjoy a beer of this style. “Cloud Rise” poured a nice pale golden color and had a thin white head composed of fine bubbles. When poured vigorously the head formed nicely but seemed to fade into a thin layer relatively quickly. However, when the head dropped, an appealing fine lace was left on the glass where the head once was. Although a hazy IPA, this beer still maintained a degree of clarity and I was able to easily see my fingers as they passed behind the glass. Pouring the last bit of beer in my glass released some sediment from the bottom of the can into the beer, adding to the haze. This IPA had a mild nose that released dank, juicy, and some tropical notes. It had a smooth mouthfeel with some cutting carbonation, but left my mouth feeling coated and a touch dry. On tasting, I was first met with some dank hop flavors that were rounded out with sweet melon and tropical flavors. Getting toward the end of the can where I picked up some of that sediment, I started detecting more pronounced vegetal flavors. I would advise against getting every last bit of the can (I admit this may be difficult as this is a tasty beer). On retronasal olfaction I picked up more hop notes and a diminishing sweetness. When I think of food to pair this beer I’m picturing something like tacos or other Mexican cuisine. That flavor profile would not be overpowered by the beer and the mouthfeel of this beer would help cut the oils and fats. Overall, I enjoyed “Cloud Rise” but I probably wouldn’t drink more than one in a session with its drying character and the way it satiated my palate.
Cheers to another week of beers!
Appearance: Pale golden color in the sun, more rich and dark in the shade. Thin white head that doesn’t hang around too long. Not too hazy. (3.5/5)
Aroma: More of a mild nose that is accentuated by a narrow rimmed IPA glass. Notes of dank hops, a touch of melon, and tropical fruits (4/5)
Mouthfeel: Smooth with some biting carbonation, drying finish (4/5)
Taste: Dank hop flavors, could be a touch more bitter, melon, tropical fruit (4/5)
Drinkability: Drinkable but not sessionable for me, would drink again (3/5)
Total: 18.5/25
Nick’s Take
Cheers to another Monday, and another beer review! Today we’re checking in on another beer brewed out in western North Carolina – “Cloud Rise” from Blowing Rock Brewing Company. This is a hazy IPA with a lot of appeal; even the can is pretty! Joe grabbed a couple of these out of the fridge and we filled our trusty tasting glasses. Not to be outdone by the aesthetics of the can itself, the beer displayed an incredible rich, golden haze and had a thin collar of bubbles. Sometimes you can just tell by looking at a beer that it is going to be special, and that’s certainly what my eyes were telling me with this brew. Taking a few smells, the familiar scent of citrus (more specifically, orange) registered immediately and some light, grassy hop notes. It really was quite pleasant smelling, but I later discovered that it was improved once the beer temperature had come up a bit. You can detect mandarin orange pretty clearly if your beer isn’t ice cold, and this also goes for the flavor itself. No surprise that there was a prominence of orange citrus fruit in my tasting, but it wasn’t overbearing in a way that might make you think you were drinking orange juice. The floral hops provided a good balance to this beer and reminded me that this was indeed a hazy IPA. As is common with this style, there was a bit less bitterness in taste and mouthfeel, and I think the advertised IBU (25) is pretty fair. The bitterness was instead replaced by a bright mouthfeel that was consistent with juicy/citrusy beverages. I found myself “tasting” this beer very quickly due to it’s incredible drinkability – I did not check the ABV prior to drinking, so I was a bit shocked at the reported 7.2%. Although the ABV is a little on the high end, it doesn’t come across as a boozy beer, and I could see myself enjoying a few of these while playing some cornhole in the back yard or even on a hot day at the beach. I think it would also pair well with some Chinese takeout – maybe Orange Chicken if you really want to match up the flavors! Bottom line is that Blowing Rock has a real home run here and if you see this at your local grocery store or bottle shop, don’t hesitate to bring a 6-pack home.
Appearance: Hazy, rich gold color with microbubbles and little bit of lace around the glass. (5/5)
Aroma: Notes of clementine/orange outweigh the hops, and the citrus comes through better when the beer isn’t right out of the fridge. (4.5/5)
Mouthfeel: Very full and bright mouthfeel, with very little mouthcoat (and not particularly bitter). (4.5/5)
Taste: Good hop balance with the citrus-forward flavor, which carries into the retronasal smells and lingers with tastes of mandarin oranges (again, enhanced once beer temp rises a bit). (4.5/5)
Drinkability: It’s easy to drink and isn’t overly sweet or juicy; as far as hazy IPAs go, this is one of the smoothest and most flavorful iterations I have had. (5/5)
Total: 23.5/25
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