After Burn Hazy IPA by Garage Brewing Co. was evaluated as a BJCP 2021 style of Hazy IPA (21C).  

It pours a very hazy deep gold with a large poofy head of tiny beige-colored bubbles and leaves a persistent head. The nose starts off with big ripe guava notes and a background toasted bread crust character. As the beer opens up, hints of gooseberry and white wine grape appear. There is some mango in the aroma too.  

The flavor is quite fruity with over-ripe mango, moderate guava and some citrusy orange zest supported by a moderate bread crust malt backbone. Hops (both flavor and aroma) are very New Zealand-ish and Australian with the guava and mango complemented by late-hopped grassy dry-hopped character. Moderately bittered, slightly high for a hazy IPA, but still very pleasant and within range (just at the top end of IBU expectations).  

The mango and guava, along with a grassy bittering linger into a long fruity and grassy but quite dry finish. Medium-high body. Medium-low grapefruit pith and zest shows up more in the flavor and mouthfeel as the beer warms. With all the fruit and grassy flavors, this beer needs a simple smoke-grilled chicken with no spicing to allow the beer to complement and add the herbal and spice and fruit to shine with the phenolic smoke of the chicken.