What Our Panel Thought
Aroma: “Beautiful fruit complexity (mango, passion fruit, pineapple, and banana) with just a touch of malty caramel and hints of honey. Moderate pine-tar resin, moderate earthy, very light floral. Strong citrus zest up front with some pine and malt sweetness thrown in for a nice effect.”
Flavor: “All of the fruity suggestions of the aroma are manifested in the juicy flavor. A delicate malt sweetness complements the fruit, and an unobtrusive but entirely sufficient, bitterness supplies balance. A wonderful play of hops and malt. The orange zest front works well with the biscuit maltiness, giving the nice complexity to this beer.”
Overall: “This is an excellent example of what neo-IPA can be. If you say you don’t like IPA, try this fun beer. You might now. Almost more of a barleywine with the sweetness levels and complexity of the malt. If you’re in the mood for a complex malty beer with a fair bit of hops, this is it. A delicious IPA that uses the malt as skillfully as it uses the hops to craft an incredibly fine beer.”
What the Brewers Say
“Mad Hatter’s whimsy is celebrated with floral aromatics, from assertive dry-hopping, and a bright, hoppy body, punctuated with Centennial, Citra, and Michigan-grown Cascade hops. Citrus and pleasant bitterness excite your palate before welcoming a balancing finish.”
