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602 Brew

Arizona
United States
602 Brew, Helio Basin Brewing Co.
Judges Ratings 
1 Review
91
Aroma:
21 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Appearance:
6 / 6
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
Description 

Phoenix is known as a transplant city and this beer is a tribute to Central Phoenix and those who call it home. This light and clean beer is brewed to be able to quench your thirst on those hot summer days, or anytime you just need a refreshing and crisp beer.

Beverage Profile
ABV: 
4.7%
IBUs: 
18
Served at: 
38 - 42º
Hops: 
Magnum, Sterling
Malts: 
Canadian Two-Row, White Wheat
Judges Review 
David Sapsis's picture
Judges Rating:
91
Aroma:
21 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20

602 Brew by Helio Basin Brewing Co. was judged as BJCP Category 18A, Blonde Ale and served in a kolsch stange glass at 46F.

The beers pours a brilliant, glistening gold, with stark clarity; a nice, thick, foamy whitecap forms of mixed-size bubbles but shows only modest stand.  A lovely, lightly bready and grainy nose dominates above a light floral hop character that also has some herbal/minty notes. A distinct sweet but light fruit/honeysuckle character emerges as the beer warms and is outgassed. 

The flavor starts malty-grainy with a firm but balanced bitterness; flavors of pear and dried flowers dominate the mid-palate forming a nice counter to the lingering and herbal hop facet that lasts well into the late profile. The finish is dry but rounded. Mouthfeel is a little high, but common among craft brewers making these beers with almost solely North American base 2-row malt, so it's naturally high in protein content. The relatively low conditioning contribute to this thickness, but the dryness of the finish helps a lot to keep the beer from coming off as too filling.

The beer really shines in its light malt front end, well-balanced bitterness, and subtle fruit and herbal components all packaged with a clean and dry finish. My only quibble really is the CO2 level, which could use a charge. Not really a starter beer at all, this Blonde Ale hits the mark with character -- maybe a tad forward on the flavor and bitterness front for some, but would squelch thirst and provide great counterpoint to some spicy tacos al pastor. Salud!

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