Mike Hess Brewing Solis Occasus IPA

Beer Name: Solis Occasus IPA
Brewery: Mike Hess Brewing Co. (San Diego, CA)
ABV: 7.5%
How sold: 16 oz. tallboy cans; on draft
Where bought: Craft Shack (San Diego, CA)  ****bought online
Price: $2.99 for 16 oz tallboy can

Date Bought: June 29, 2016
Date Received: July 11, 2016
Date Opened: July 18, 2016
When brewed? Year-round beer. There are 52 different batches as of March 2016.
IBUs: 85+

Batch Number and Package Date: Unclear. Appears to be the number 16. Could be the year (as in 2016). Didn't scan the QR code.

What's on the Can: "Masterfully combining 2-row and other malts, along with new or unique hop combinations, our San Diego style IPA allows us to keep our creative juices flowing and your mouth watering. Always 7.5%, hop-forward and bone-dry. Scan the QR code and check the batch number on the bottom of this can for details about this batch."

What's on the Website: "Solis Occasus (Sunset/West Coast) is our dynamic IPA brand - every batch is a unique San Diego-style IPA - always 7.5%, hop-forward, bone-dry, light-colored, and sure to satisfy craft fans and hop heads. Masterfully combining 2-row and other malts, along with new hops or unique hop combinations, Solis allows us to keep our creative juices flowing and your mouth watering. Make sure you ask your server which batch they are serving and try them all! Can drinkers - look on the bottom of your can for a package date and batch number." See all the different batches here!

Where distributed: Mike Hess Brewing ships to select areas (likely just California), and generally cannot be found in the Pacific Northwest. Check to see whether you can find Mike Hess beers in your area!

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Poured cloudy golden-orange into a pint glass. Tons of off-white head. Some lacing on the glass. 4.5/5

Smell (25%): Hop-forward, tropical pineapple and grapefruit. Just a bit of malt. So pleasing. 4.75/5

Taste (40%): Hop-forward blast of tropical pineapple and grapefruit. Some dankness. A smooth 7.5%. Just slight bitterness on the aftertaste. Stops just short of really noticing any octane. Pretty much near perfect to me. 4.75/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium-bodied, pleasing bitterness on the tongue. Slightly dry but still just fine. Some carbonation. 4.5/5

Overall (20%): A world-class IPA. A tremendous beer that, to me, has great flavor and the right amount of octane. I found myself intrigued by the pull-tab on the top of the can. It does come off nicely so that you don't necessarily have to get a glass. I had to take a swig from the can (awesome). Two panda thumbs up here. 4.75/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.713/5