Megaflora
Brewery: Austin Beerworks
Style: Specialty IPA (21B)
Package: 12oz Can
Purchased: HEB Tech Ridge, January, 2020
Canned Date: January 3, 2020
Consumed Date: March 12, 2020
Details From the Brewer
ABV: 7.9%
Historic amounts of Sabro, El Dorado, Galaxy, Azacca, and Citra.
Review
Aroma – 9/12
Orange oil is the first thing to hit my nose ad a medium high intensity. This blends with a moderate cantaloupe scent, and a lower floral, almost lilac one. There’s a bit of alcohol sharpness to the aroma as well. Subtle doughy malt character is present with a bit of sweetness. As it warms, a bit of mango comes out as well.
Appearance – 2/3
Pours with a deep yellow, almost gold colored liquid. Clarity is non-existant, but not to the murky pond water extreme. Small, fine bubble compose a moderate head, that falls with below average retention.
Flavor – 17/20
A metaphorical bowl of fruit hits the tongue first. Orange and lemon combines with pineapple and mango at moderate levels. These notes introduce an overripe twang in the midtaste, that highlights papaya. There’s a low to medium sweetness present, with a low-moderate bitterness. Doughy, white bread malt character comes out towards the end of the taste. The fruit is still going strong on the finish, with a bubble gum character like jackfruit peaking out.
Mouthfeel – 5/5
Moderate carbonation hits the roof of the mouth. Just over medium bodied. It carries it’s fullness through out the taste without getting watery. The finish is surprisingly dry and without astringency. While there’s a bit of warming in the cheeks, the alcohol represents as more of a sharpness on the finish.
Overall Impression – 8/10
This is a nice double IPA. A touch of sweetness from the amount of grain used balances out any bitterness from this barrage of hops. With highly hopped beers, often you’ll get vegetal notes from prolonged contact or hop-derived astringency. Neither is present here. The only fault I see is the alcoholic sharpness is a too intense for 7.9%. If that was smoothed out, this would be world class. It’s nice to see this beer holding up well with 2 months on it as well.
Rating – 41/50
Well-made double IPAs these days can be easier to drink than their normal intensity siblings. That’s definitely the case here, as this beer drinks like a tropical punch. Austin Beerworks left a void in the IPA market when they discontinued the heavy machinery series. It’s great to see them putting out beers like this and Lazer Salad. Megaflora holds it’s own with the double hazies coming out of Pinthouse Pizza, Zilker, and Sourthern Heights.
