Apologies to anyone that was offended by my last review, but some shit just don't fly with me. But the new dawn has brought a new Jack and as far as I am concerned (work related shenanigans aside) everything is good in the world. We are officially at the shortest day of the year, so even if things have been a bit rough this year (an understatement) at least we are going to be getting a little more daylight from here on in/out. If the increasing hours of daylight doesn't call for a celebratory libation, I don't know what does.
Orbital Movement
Style - Hazy IPA
Brewer - To Ol
Hops - Not stated
ABV - 6%
The Beer
Readers of this series will know that I like a clear (relatively speaking) beer, for me there is nothing more inviting than an amber-coloured yet crystal clear ale of some description. I think it shows skill and craft and hints at levels of refreshment inconceivable with the hazier offerings. All that being said, if someone brings the haze, I am certainly not going to turn them from my door. I'm an equally opportunities beer lover (jam doughnut pale ales aside) and there is a time and a place for haze. Today is most definitely that time, and my mouth is that place.
Orbital Movement is certainly putting the hazy into its self-imposed categorisation as a hazy IPA. It pours so thick and opaque that if you hold it up to your eye, all you get is the sensation that someone has held a very bright, amber light up to your closed eyelid. There is no head on this, but with thick hazy motherlovers I don't expect it, nor would I want it - truth be told. This looks like a juice medley from a continental breakfast buffet and the idea of said juice being crowned by a layer of dense yeasty foam is off-putting to say the least.
The scent coming up from Orbital Movements is strong. There's a musty and sweet note to it which reminds me in no small part of these very odd sweets (candies/lollies) that we used to get as kids in Australia. These sweets were called musk sticks and they were basically a hard fondant extrusion, coloured bright pink and scented with musky perfume, probably rosewater and some other stuff. This beer smells like them and if it tastes like them too I wouldn't be disappointed, but a 440ml can of it could prove too much. Thankfully there's a very strong lime aroma to Orbital Movements too, which cuts through the sickliness of the candy smell and hints at the fact that this beer is unlikely to be a one trick pony/horse/other beast of burden.
On the tongue and in the mouth the mustiness is certainly strong, but it is counteracted by a very dark and dirty dankness which comes in after the effervescence envelopes the tongue. This is then very quickly followed by citrus brightness, tartness and a very faint hint of bitterness.
Don't get me wrong, this is juicy, but it isn't overly so. There's enough complexity here to keep Orbital Movement interesting the whole way through the can. If you have a West Coast only drinker in you life that laughs at your New England loving, juice guzzling ways, maybe introduce them to this, I would rate this as a good entry level NEIPA that shouldn't scare off the uninitiated. Also, unlike the majority of NEIPA style beers that I've sampled, the tartness Orbital Movement has means that you're never in fear of being yeasted/hazed out.
After yesterday's debacle of a beer - seriously go back and read my review of Tiny Rebel's abomination of a pale ale - anything was going to taste good. But To Ol's Orbital Movement isn't just good by comparison with TR's discharge, it's just plain damn good.
Score - 4.5/5
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