Judge’s Review: 92 Rating – Future Dinosaurs by Blind Cat Beer Co.

Double IPA | Limited Release | USA

By Rick Franckhauser

Judges Rating: 92.00
Aroma: 23.00
Appearance: 5.00
Flavor: 38.00
Mouthfeel: 8.00
Overall Impression: 18.00

Future Dinosaurs by Blind Cat Beer Co. was evaluated as a Double IPA, Style 22A, per the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines.
There is a big hit of juicy orange aromatics that is quickly followed by pine resin and some other pithy citrus notes. More tropical fruit qualities follow: pineapple, guava, and passion fruit. All very fresh and vibrant. A touch of cedar wood and a little alcohol is noted retronasally. There is a sweet impression that may be a combination of all the fruit aspects and perhaps some neutral malt peeking through. Complex, evolving aromatics. The beer is a very hazy, somewhat murky, apricot color, topped with a big creamy light tan head. Great retention and some lacing. The haze goes beyond your typical hazy IPA and into the murky, opaque realm.

The flavor provides more of the pine resin and cedar aspects up front. Decidedly bitter, but not harsh, though it does push the citrus into the blood orange pithy zone. There is enough malt sweetness to keep it from going too far. Additional fruit notes from the hops come in mid-palate, with some peach and apricot qualities. Passion fruit shows up in the moderately dry finish. There is a lot going on in the glass, and it is all wonderfully aggressive and complex. A touch of alcohol makes itself known in the finish and carries into the aftertaste, along with the pithy citrus that lingers on the palate, and I like it.

Overall, delicious, and an excellent showcase of complex hops. Hops are the highlight, as they should be. Lots of different hop expressions come through as you work through the beer, providing an interesting and enjoyable ride. I appreciated the malt presence, but felt that, stylistically, it got in the way a little. In fact, my biggest ding on the beer was the somewhat heavy fullness that detracted from the overall drinkability, which is a hallmark of the style. Perhaps some additional carbonation would have helped lift some of that fullness off the palate, but it just seemed the sweet malt quality was a touch too prominent and distracting. The alcohol was only barely noticeable in the aroma and flavor, but I could feel its effects. Maybe it is a good thing the beer was not easier to drink, as it might prove problematic. Oh, what the hell, I’ll have another.