Review: Vessel Murky Buckets New England IPA


Today's sampling is Vessel Beer's Murky Buckets New England IPA. I've been waiting two months to try this beer but unfortunately it only arrived in Brandon this past week.. Sure, I could've sampled it at the brewery but I assumed it was going to be in town sooner than later! Many years ago I had a friend who loved to say murky buckets instead of merci beaucoup so that's all I can think about when I see this beer. 

From the website it's described as hazy, murky as can be, citrusy and nice and resiny too. 6.1% ABV

Appearance: Murky for sure - it has a heavy orange/pineapple juice appearance to it, with a moderate amount of white head on top of the beer. The head doesn't diminish much as it's savoured but does leave behind a good layering of lacing on the glass.

Aroma: Whenever I'm trying a NEIPA/Juicy/Hazy IPA for the first time, I have no expectations for the aroma because I've had way. too. many IPAs that flat out weren't tropical or juicy in any sense.. but this one is exactly what I expect in a New England-style IPA - it's got a good amount of fruitiness and sweetness as well as a bit of a yeasty/breadiness to it. The fruitiness I get in it is a hint of pineapple, tangerine and lemon. There's a lot of yeastiness to it so it gives off a bit of a sourdough like presence to it, though it's not as sharp as many NEIPA's. Smooth so far. Bit of a leafy hop presence as it warms up.

Taste: My first impression from the first sip is that I'm getting the yeast first and foremost to give off a sourdough-like presence to it, followed by a hint of nuttiness to it. The beer is moderately tropical with a bit of pineapple, lemon, and I think also a bit of melon at the end? The beer is quite dry on the palate and has a yeasty aftertaste at the end. Somewhat leafy hop presence popping up here and there.

Overall Thoughts: Decent NEIPA. It's not as sweet as some of the most popular NEIPA/Juicy/Hazy IPAs in the province but it has the yeastiness I expect in the style(s). Pretty smooth though quite dry. Moderate amount of tropical presence to it, definitely murky.

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