Beyond the Clouds

Beyond the Clouds (6.5% ABV)

Monday Night Brewing Company Garage (Atlanta, Georgia)

Unfiltered Brett IPA

Beyond the Clouds poured a hazy golden color with a lot of head, but that might have been my fault. Once the head dissipates to about one centimeter, there’s good retention. The smell is fruity and hoppy.

The taste is tropical and light, reminding me of a good New England IPA, with a smooth and creamy mouthfeel.

I was a little nervous when I picked this up because I don’t really like Brett in farmhouse ales, and it's about a 50/50 on if I'm going to like a Brett beer based on the 10 or so varieties I have had. (Disclaimer that I didn't pay that much attention to the other beers, so other than farmhouse ales, I can't recall what styles I've had and don't like) BUT I really like this variety. Honestly, I think the brettanomyces improve the beer a lot.

I googled what goes on with Brett IPAs because I was wondering why I didn’t get that weird hay-like taste and crazy dryness you can get in other beers, and I found this article on All About Beer: http://allaboutbeer.com/brett-ipa/. Turns out I don’t have crazy taste buds that just know I’m drinking an IPA and therefore love it. Instead, it’s just that brettanomyces impact IPAs a lot differently.

They’ll produce “vivid flavor and aroma compounds, notably esters, which taste like fruits,” the article reads, and that’s totally what you’ll get with this beer. This beer tastes like an almost pineapple-y (others say passion fruit. they're probably right, but I can't say I easily recognize that flavor) fruitiness. It’s super tropical.

The beer is also made with Mosaic, Citra, Huell Melon and Simcoe hops. While the Huell Melon variety is new to me, the other three are ones I recognize from my favorite beers. Filing that away for my future "Erica learns what different hops do" post.

The only downside to this beer is the fact that it comes in a 500 mL (1 pint) bottle and I split it with my husband. I’m always glad to share, but I definitely wanted more of this beer and was disappointed that I couldn’t have the other half.

Overall rating: 4.5

#MondayNightBrewing #Atlanta #IPA #Brett #Brettanymyces #brettbeer #unfilteredipa