Judge’s Review: 88 – Big Hazy by Lawson’s Finest Liquids Co.

Fruit Beer | Limited Release | USA

By Dan Martich

Judges Rating: 88
Aroma: 24
Appearance: 6
Flavor: 35
Mouthfeel: 10
Overall Impression: 13

Big Hazy by Lawson’s Finest Liquids is being evaluated as a Fruit Beer (Category 29A) from the 2021 BJCP Style guidelines. 
 The aroma of this beer is strong and citrusy. A faint grainy malt character in the background, along with the moderate citrus hop notes, make it pleasant to put your nose to the beer. Low fruity esters from the yeast have the resemblance of fresh raspberries.
Beautifully golden colored with a moderate haze, this beer seems very carbonated as indicated from the many small bubbles seen rising to the surface holding up the foamy white head.
The beer flavor starts with a burst of citrus in the aroma, followed by a splash of honeydew and peaches in syrup. The fruitiness shines through in this beer since the main focus comes from the added citrus fruit. This comes across loud and clear, and carried on into the bitter citrus rind finish. Well-attenuated with no residual malt sweetness, that job is left for the fruit to do and provides a long aftertaste. The balance is toward the fruit, and it’s hard to find the underlying beer hiding under so much citrus character.
The mouthfeel is medium-high with a moderately high body. The sweetness of the fruit accentuates the fullness of the body giving this beer a fuller mouthfeel. The high ABV is hidden very well, and it does not come across as boozy.
This is a very good beer full of highly flavorful fruity citrus-berry notes. The berry notes come through more as the beer warms and coats the tongue; this is a good pairing for summer dishes that complement the big citrus notes, eg. grilled fish, ceviche and hard aged cheeses.