Brooklyn Blast IPA

I saw this on the draft menu at the River Barrel in Greenpoint. It was written on a chalk board as Brooklyn "Blast" IPA... I was confused. A Brooklyn that I've never heard of? The waitress confirmed it was in fact a Brooklyn Brewery beer so I went for it. $7 for the pint.

(I'd just like to point out that before we even sat down Alicia asks me " 'Brooklyn Blast?' IPA? That's a new one, you should get it.")

The Pour-

So nearly perfect. The beer is a pale golden color with a vibrant soda-y head. The head lasts only a few sips before it fades away and leaves a good amount of heavy lacing. I would have liked to see a frothier head rather than a more typical soda type head but still, it was an intense amount of fluff. (sorry but Alonzo is walking all over the keyboard, get's tough to write a review with a cute ass kitten in the way). The color was perfect for an IPA, crystal clear and refreshing.

9/10

Nose -

I smelled this before the waitress set it on the table. Honestly, due to the odd "quotation marks" around the beer's name I was just expecting the Brooklyn IPA with a fancy nickname. Before it left the waitress's hands I already knew. This was an intense hop love affair, it wafted through up to my nose and I was head over heels before I saw it. I'd say in sheer over-the-top fresh sticky hop flavor it compares closest to the Green Flash Imperial on draft, just not quite as rediculous. Wow, this beer smelled so damn good, it was like my birthday.

10/10

Mouthfeel-

Light, smooth, crisp and refreshing. An amazing light feeling and tasting beer for the intensity of the hops. I am the first to argue that in order to bring hops to the next level one needs that malt intensity but this beer just gets the punches right. No thickness what-so-ever this one drinks like an ice cold lager in the middle of a hot summer day, easily and enjoyable through and through.

10/10

Taste-

Perfect, need I say more? The hops are perfect (it helps that the brewery is 100 yards away) and fresh and delicious and wow. The malt is nearly absent as this is an amazingly clear, light, crisp beer. I'd guess that this is a double IPA if only because of intense the hops are (I just checked BA and it is a double with an ABV of 8%). You'd never know it though because the alcohol is minor, the malt is minor, this is hop juice to the max. No, wait, it's better than hop juice, it's fresh hop juice. This is like sucking from the teat of the Hop Goddess of Fertility, so much like the Green Flash DIPA in that both of these beers are pure insanity, these hop are nutballs. It shows true art and talent to craft such a light & refreshing yet mouth blisteringly intense hop beer. This is close to perfection, I think Brooklyn just moved up a couple of spots in my top 5.

10/10

No doubt about it this is close to beer perfection, a 39/40. For as many beers wish they could be, this is a 'hop head's dream' in that its so hoppy, so insanely overwhelming hoppy yet so light and accessible. This is THE BEER that I dream about sipping in a beach chair, letting my stress just flow away. Find this beer and drink it now, what else are you doing with your life?