Monday, April 9, 2012

Hill Farmstead Double Galaxy

After doing a little research on the company's website, I was surprised to find the Double Galaxy as part of their single hop series of ales (I find it rare to see single-hopped IPAs and Imperials). As the name suggests, this one however is loaded exclusively with galaxy hops for bittering, flavoring, and aroma purposes. Sampled at The Farmhouse.

Alcohol Content: 8%
IBU: ?
Malts: ?
Hops: Galaxy (Australia)

Price: $4.50/ half (~6oz); $8.50/ full
Medium: 8oz small, stemmed goblet or snifter appearance

Aroma: Pungent, citrus with some fruitiness to the hop character. Galaxy tends to lend a passionfruit character but I perceived it as more of an orange/ grapefruit citrus. Similar aroma to Fiddlehead IPA. Restrained but balance of sweet malt aromas. After picking away at the layers of hops I was able to find some caramel notes, which became stronger towards the end of the session. Very hop forward.
Appearance: Practically opaque with a milky/cloudy haziness. Gold with sort of a deep orange/ more of a cool color. Persistent, frothy white head billowing up with large bubbles lingering on the surface and lots of lacing around the rim of the glass.
Flavor: A sense of soft malt sweetness starts out, turning into a very grassy hop middle with some tropical citrus flavors. Also a bit of tartness or sourness to the hop character at this point - grapefruits, orange zest. Surprisingly very minimal hop-derived astringency and a light drying effect. The malts bounce back in the finish (helps reduce the drying effect). Appropriately balanced more towards hops.
Mouthfeel: Moderate to light body contradicts what I perceived as fullness from the complex hop aromas and flavors. In other words, its easy to drink but the hops give it a reason to savor. High carbonation may help drive off some of the unwanted hop astringency (low). Generally a neutral yeast character.
Overall Impression: This was one of the haziest IPAs I've ever encountered - looks like a hefeweizen but with the colors of pale ales and IPAs. It's best quality as a strongly hopped ale is that it lacks any harshness. Its hop bitterness and high carbonation will balance most sweet or fatty meals. I would love to compare this side by side to Fiddlehead IPA, which also uses galaxy hops as part of its profile.

No comments:

Post a Comment