Style: New England IPA
ABV: 5.5%
Joe’s Take
I’m back from vacation and back to work on the blog…if you can call drinking delicious beer working. Thanks to Stephanie for providing a great review while I was gone! I made it back to Greenville just in time for a Friday night new release and my timing couldn’t be better. This week Nick and I are posting while sitting at a table at Nauti Dog Brewing in Winterville, NC. We’re giving their newly released “Cosmic Hazemaker” (their newest New England India pale ale brewed with Zappa hops) a try. There is something nice about writing the review while drinking at the brewery, likely the result of a combination of ambience and not having to recall the beer’s attributes from tasting notes. With that, let’s dive into the review.
“Cosmic Hazemaker” was poured from the tap into a pub style pint glass and was a hazy deep golden color, almost like that jar of honey sitting in your pantry. In the pub glass, which has a tapered body, the beer had an apparent color gradient that lightened as the glass became narrower. There was a thin white head that dissipated relatively quickly but left a thin ring around the edge of the glass.
As for aroma, there were notes of sweet tropical fruit and a touch of citrus. It was difficult to detect malt characteristics which isn’t unheard of for an IPA. The detectable hop aromas were enjoyable, although they could have been a touch more intense to enhance the tasting experience.
On sipping, this beer had a great mouthfeel that was smooth and creamy. There was an initial carbonation punch that soon subsided, leaving a soft foamy cloud of beer behind. This made each sip enjoyable and enhanced the drinking experience.
Now to the most important part, the taste. “Cosmic Hazemaker” was surprisingly juicy with strong notes of tropical hop flavors and a mild bitterness. I say surprising as the aroma of the beer didn’t initially let on that it had a juicy characteristic, but I certainly found myself thinking it was juicy after tasting. There was a mild malt character that contributed some sweetness but was not overly complex. Overall, the flavor of this beer was straightforward and unquestionably enjoyable.
Some might say this beer is drinkable, and I am part of that some. As I drink this beer on a Friday night I have to hold back from ordering it again and again (I’m trying to explore the other new options they have available since my last visit). This beer pairs well with a Friday night and the many food options available from the Prevail food truck parked outside. As I write this, I’m being overwhelmed by the smell of other patrons’ food and can’t think of anything that would pair better with this beer (although I may be currently experiencing some mouthwatering bias).
Nauti Dog did a great job with this brew and as always: cheers to beers!
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Pale, hazy, golden to amber. Like watered down OJ, almost a gradient in the glass. (4/5)
Aroma: Citrus, tropical, sweet, good hop aromas. (4/5)
Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, light to medium carbonation. (4.5/5)
Taste: Juicy, tropical hop notes, sweet but not deep malt character. (4/5)
Drinkabilty: Sessionable, could crush a few of these without issue. (4.5/5)
Total: 21/25
Nick’s Take
Our friends at Nauti Dog Brewing Co. recently released a New England pale ale called “Cosmic Hazemaker.” Our friend, Stephanie (hopefully you read her guest review on our last post), visited after their release and had very positive comments. Joe and I could not resist making our way to Nauti Dog to enjoy this beer for ourselves. After arriving at the brewery, I perused the menu and noticed a few new selections that I had not tasted yet. However, I stuck to the mission at hand, and that was to try “Cosmic Hazemaker” before anything else. Don’t worry – after completing everything for the blog, I rewarded myself with another beer after punching the clock. It’s tough work for behind the scenes at East Carolina Beer and Brewing.
The great beer servers at Nauti Dog poured me this NEIPA in a pub glass, and it looked as good as I had expected. “Cosmic Hazemaker” is certainly hazy, and almost completely opaque. It had a rich orange-gold color that could only be described as juicy. I didn’t have much head on my pour, but later, during the tasting, I was able to generate some foam with some glass twirling. A tiny bit of lace on the glass, but overall it looked like it wouldn’t be overly carbonated. I posted up at a table with Joe and instantly got inspiration for a picture with this beer; Nauti Dog has a lot of original brick walls inside, and they would serve as great backdrops for some photography. After securing a couple shots I thought were decent, I hurried into the work of finding out if this beer would smell and taste as good as it looked.
Naturally, the first smell or two were very tropical and citrusy in nature – a product of the Zappa hops that the brewery used – but not much in terms of sourness. It did have that juicy aroma that I anticipated, and I thought of Simply Orange with Pineapple (if you are familiar). The hops were also producing a distinct aroma outside of the fruit smells. It was a bit more earthy but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Nauti Dog suggests that this is a piney quality, present in Zappa hops.
I wanted to get a little room at the top of the glass to allow me to work on the aroma a little more, so I took a sip and let it sit on the tongue for a bit. The first sensation I found was a pleasant bite of carbonation, which was a surprise considering the thin layer of head that was available after pouring. After a moment, I found the beer finished with a smooth, foamy mouthfeel. It definitely has some creamy qualities that made it enjoyable to drink, and I think helps with any bite from the powerful hops.
A few more sips in, and I was making note of the juicy hops that produce flavors of citrus and tropical fruits. I was finding orange and pineapple in my tasting, but I could see some other tropical fruits being detected, depending on one’s own palate. Though it was a juicy and citrusy/tropical beer, I didn’t find it to be tart or acidic, which I enjoyed. Again, returning to the soft mouthfeel and creamy characteristic, I think that contributed to a nice balance in this NEIPA.
Overall, I found “Cosmic Hazemaker” to really be a home run for Nauti Dog. If you enjoy IPAs, this is a beer for you. If you like juicy ales, this is a beer for you. If you like a beer that’s smooth and easy to drink, this is a beer for you. I think it would be sessionable in most circumstances and settings, and would pair well with food. Fish tacos come to mind, or even getting into some sticky BBQ ribs. If you are reading this and are able to make the trek to Nauti Dog in Winterville, NC, I highly suggest “Cosmic Hazemaker” as a great selection. Bonus points if you come on a food truck night.
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Gradient orange/gold, opaque, very little head. (4/5)
Aroma: Sharp tropical hops, juicy citrus. (4/5)
Mouthfeel: Pleasant carbonation up front with a foamy, soft finish. (4.5/5)
Taste: A little hop-forward with plenty of citrus and tropical fruit qualities. (4.5/5)
Drinkability: Perhaps sessionable for a couple, and could be paired with fish tacos or some ribs. (4/5)
Total: 21/25
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