pFriem Juicy IPA by pFriem Family Brewers was judged as BJCP category 21B,Specialty IPA, New England IPA.
A big punch of pineapple is first out of the glass and soon accompanied by some tangerine, kumquats and lemons. The citrus is joined by a subtle hint of gooseberry giving an impression of tartness. Some resinous pine elements join the mix and manage to remove any impression of “juiciness” behind. There is a touch of doughy malt making its way through the pine and fruit. The beer pours a lightly hazy straw color, not quite the level of your average Weissbier. Topped with a creamy white head with long lingering retention. The flavor follows through with providing lots of pineapple and resinous hops. Some additional herbaceous hop flavors come in with a touch of dankness. Moderately high levels of bitterness seem to be somewhat elevated by the resin as well in aiding in a dry finish. The citrus hops provide a tart impression in the flavor and reappear in the aftertaste. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. No astringency but a touch of hop bite. Some alcohol warmth is noted.
While I really enjoyed the combination of hops, all but the pineapple character is out of style and diminishes the “juicy” impression. Hazy aficionados will not be pleased with these low levels of haze but I don’t mind, nor do I think the haze level matters. The “juicy” factor does matter as it defines the style. The resin and herbaceous character, combined with the dankness and bitterness level make for a great IPA, just not what I think of as “juicy.” As a NEIPA this one just misses the mark, but don’t let that dissuade you from enjoying this beer if you love IPAs, just pay no attention to that word “juicy” on the label.