Manic Confidence IPA - Deep Ellum Brewing Co. Review
A smooth talking, sweat dripping can of a Hazy IPA has the strange ability to make all other beers feel slightly inferior when it comes to the hot days of summer. When well done, they bring a fruit bowl punch and a smooth finish with just enough effervescence to break through a summer cheeseburger or hotdog. Very few beers can stand up to the heat and pressure of it, but Hazy beers have settled themselves as a summer staple.
But what about Hazy enough beers?
That’s how Deep Ellum describes their Manic Confidence IPA--simply, Hazy Enough. But no need to fret, this brew is filled with fruit flavors and subdued bitterness from a blend of Galaxy, Enigma, Comet, Strata, Citra, and Idaho 7 hops, all blended brilliantly to provide relief from the heavy beers of winter and the searing summer sun.
It touts a 6.5% ABV and a moderate 35 IBUs, and to top it off it is brewed in Deep Ellum’s Funkytown Fermatorium. This is shaping up to be a good one, but let’s see how it stacks up in our…
First Impressions:
On the eyes--It pours a hazy, slightly orange-yellow color. It is nearly opaque, and the cream-colored head formed and diminished moderately. Pleasant look, and certainly hazy enough by my standards.
On the nose--Orange, peach, papaya, and pineapple, to name a few. Very fruity and even more inviting knowing that with only 35 IBUs a bitter kick in the nards isn’t waiting around the corner.
On the palate--The sweet fruits just keep filling the bowl. It starts like the aroma with an absolute rush of fruity flavors. It’s almost too difficult to distinguish them on the first sip, owing to the complexity of the beer, but I would say I get less peach in the sipping than I do in the sniffing, which is a common trait of the Galaxy hops. I would say the Galaxy hops are most prominent, but I also get a grassy citrus from the Comet hops. The truth about this beer is that the hop profile is fantastic, especially across the spectrum of Galaxy, Comet, and Citra hops, which combine so well in many beers. Truthfully, though, this is one of the smoothest beers I’ve ever drank. It’s like a cashmere blanket that still has enough satisfying fizz to give the drinker a good finish all the way through the final burst of slightly bitter citrus.
Well balanced, smooth, fruity, and easy to drink. What more could a hazy beer drinker ask for? Deep Ellum brings it all to the table in this really excellent beer. They have a taproom in Dallas, TX, where they serve all their staples and a couple of extras, and they also distill their own spirits. Check ‘em out if you’re up that way, I know we will.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew