I thought I had heard that stouts were in vogue. I thought I had heard that people were seeking out the darkness. I thought I had heard that there was finally a little balance on the beer shelf. O foolish drinker, paying mind to what you hear! I hadn’t been to Hidden Beers for a while, holidays you know, so I went on down expecting to find something special. I did, but…there wasn’t much else to go with it. Must I settle for IPAs and sours? I have to admit they can also be surprising and well worth your time. But I can pick out something a little special from that group too; a TDH NEIPA? That’s a new one! It’s from solid providers Prizm and Verdant, who have made some tasty collaborations in the past. Let’s see if Jus D’Orange continues the trend.
Opaque and juicy looking, sort of a natural orange juice appearance. It’s bubbly at first, but the head starts thin and vanishes in no time. Not a strong aroma, just whispers of caraway and sesame. The flavor is also sedate, but with a depth to it. It tastes very planty, unsweetened and undrowned in extras. I feel like the Mosaic was scantly used in comparison to the other two hops, at least from what I remember of Founders (?) Mosaic IPA at Roll. That was years ago, of course, and memory can be a treacherous thing. The taste is refreshing and summery, a bright spot for a dark weekend, but there is also some heaviness to the beer itself. It isn’t aggressive, but it sits with confidence and gives the impression that it won’t be pushed around. It’s able to present itself as an all-year possibility, a font of freshness in warm weather, a warm blanket in the cold and damp. It wakes up a little after warming up, but it’s still pretty much a softy. I was told to expect a “bomb” of a beer (in a positive sense), but I don’t think it’s that explosive. Really, it’s probably a more broadly appealing beer because of it.
Supplier: Hidden Beers
Price:€7.90
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