River Haze

River Haze by Cahaba Brewing Co. is being judged as a Hazy IPA (Category 21C) per the 2021 BJCP Guidelines.

This beer pours an opaque, milky golden color with a bone-white head consisting of mousse-like bubbles. The head is sustained and leaves nice lacing as the beer is consumed. There was a touch of yeast sediment at the bottom of my glass that accumulated after the pour. On the nose, this beer has a medium-high hop aroma consisting of medium tangerine, low pine, and a very low catty and dank note. There is no detectable malt aroma, as the hops take the forefront here. There is also a very low minerality present.

On the sip, this beer has a very pleasant softness that has become lost in many of today’s Hazy IPAs; there is no harshness, greenness, or hop burn. Similar to the aroma, the flavor consists of medium tangerine, low pine, and a very low catty and dank character. There is also an added medium-low tropical mango note in the flavor that was not detected in the aroma. A low bitterness emerges in the aftertaste, along with a low sweetness that lingers as well. This beer has medium-high carbonation with a medium body. Despite the heavy use of hops, there is no astringency and no alcohol warmth.

Overall, this is an Exceptional Hazy IPA. It is quite refreshing, literally and figuratively, to find an easy-drinking yet flavorful Hazy IPA in today’s beer culture, where so many seem to be chasing excess and ending up with hop burn and harshness.