It's true, the winter here in the Shuswap can be dark, gray, and downright dreary. And if you're anything like me, the weather can really pull down on your mood. So this week, as I was imagining sandy beaches and the promise of the dreamy lake life season we moved here to enjoy...I was super stoked to have found the newest limited release from Superflux.
What you need to know first. Superflux descirbes themselves as an "experiment in beer production" and they brew out of Strathcona in Vancouver. They were a brand built just to try things. Cool things. Weird things. I mean, any brewery that was stood up for the sole purpose to experiment in beer...well, I promise I'm gonna try somethin!
Onto the limited release. This bad boy has popped up on my Instagram feed quite a bit over the last couple of weeks, and COCONUTS caught my eye. At first, I thought it must be a porter...we've seen a few of those pop up lately. But oh no...this is a coconut IPA. 2 of my favorite things, married. But not a predictable pairing. How would the floral hops of an IPA pair with a coconut? The hops? Would it be milky? Would the flavor be overpowering? What about the nose? Would it be reminiscent of sunscreen? I had so many questions!
We set out to find it, and low and behold, our friends at Hideaway in Salmon Arm had it in stock. So I set Rob out on a post-hockey scavenger hunt and lucky me, he came home with a 4-pack.
First things first: the can! Sorta reminiscent of a Vietnamese coconut water box. Rob and I joked that you could probably get away with walking down the street with this go-pop (please no, hate letters, I'm not endorsing go-pops, enjoy responsibly). Honestly, it's refreshingly plain Jane. In the day of over the top, hyper graphic cans, it's nice to see just a green coconut, on a white label. Clean, simple.
But what about the beer?
Crack this bad boy open, and you'll find coconut on the nose. Breathe deep and find tropical fruit notes like pineapple, and the hops bring in some citrus and pine. Immediately start singing "I like pina coladas...and getting caught in the rain!"
Pour it, and you'll find a luscious, milky hazy. Colored just like the tropical fruits it draws on: mangos and oranges and pineapples. Enjoy that cream head, as it will dissipate quickly.
Now sip it. Slowly.
First, I found coconut, and a creamy, full body. Like you can almost feel the fruit in the beer. Then, the bitterness of the hops finishes that mouthful off. Delightfully breaking up the sweet fruit flavor with a bitterness that only hops can invoke.
Honestly, I had my doubts about this brew before I had it. Would it be too sweet? Too fruity? How was this even going to come together. But let me tell you, this is the MOST fun I've had drinking beer all winter! It was SO good. I won't even share the 4 pack (sorry hunny).
In fact, I'm digging out my flip-flops and sending Rob back to Hideaway!
Got a beer you want us to try? Or a brewery you think we gotta visit? Drop us a line! We wanna hear from you!
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