Dugges Bryggeri Fresh 13 IPA

Beer Name: Fresh 13
Brewery: Dugges Bryggeri (Landvetter, Västergötland, Sweden), but actually brewed at Thimble Island Brewing Company (Branford, CT)
ABV: 7.0%
How sold: 16 oz tallboy cans; on draft
Where bought: Belmont Station (Portland, OR)
Price: $7.58(!) for 16 oz tallboy can

Date Canned: March 1, 2018
Date Purchased: April 7, 2018
Date Drank: May 16, 2018
When brewed? Limited-time beer, released around March 2018. This may be related to their Fresh Fresh Fresh beer listed on their website.

What's on the Can: "Fresh is our ever changing concept, idea and journey towards the perfect IPA in a world where out idea of the perfect IPA is ever changing. Embarking on a journey towards a super crisp, nicely sparkling and crushingly lush IPA, with loads and loads and loads of hops. That's fresh! This is fresh! Gotta be fresh!"

Commercial Description (per Untappd): "Fresh is our ever changing concept, idea and journey towards the perfect IPA in a world where our idea of the perfect IPA is ever changing. Embarking on a journey towards a super crisp, nicely sparkling and crushingly lush IPA, with loads and loads and loads of hops. That’s fresh! This is fresh! Gotta be fresh! The biggest change with FRESH 13 is where the beer has been brewed. I mean, it’s a fantastic modern IPA, as the FRESH series beers are, well aware of the history of IPA’s and tweaked for the better. But, the big thing is it’s not brewed at Dugges but for Twelve Percent Beer Project at Thimble Island Brewing in CT, USA. Why? Hoppy beers don’t travel well, and this was the only way to get our hoppy stuff to our US following. Enjoy!"

Where distributed: Unknown for their usual beer offerings, but Fresh 13 was at least available in select U.S. markets because it was brewed in the United States.

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Pours hazy golden orange into a pint glass. Unfiltered, sediment at the bottom of the can. Off-white head, trace lacing. 4.5/5

Smell (25%): Tropical mango, pineapple, passion fruit, and citrus, with complementing oaty/biscuity malt. 4.75/5

Taste (40%): Follows the nose. Assertive tropical throughout, including mango, pineapple, passion fruit, and other citrus flavors. Complementing oaty and biscuity malts akin to a New England-style IPA. Wonderful. 4.75/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium to medium-full bodied, some carbonation. Creamy feel. Very juicy, with trace dry tongue. 4.5/5

Overall (20%): An outstanding IPA. I hadn't heard about Dugges Bryggeri prior to buying this beer, but it made a great first impression. Using a brewery in New England to make this beer could have helped stamp that New England-style IPA feel that this beer possesses. All the tropical flavors meshed well together and made me want more. The price was the only real detractor...a big hit to the wallet compared to other 16 oz cans. 4.25/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.613/5