Judge’s Review: 94 Rating – Sunshine Haze Dream by Urban South Brewery

Fruit and Spice Beer | Special Release | United States

By Michael Heniff

Judges Rating: 94
Aroma: 22
Appearance: 6
Flavor: 38
Mouthfeel: 9
Overall Impression: 19

Sunshine Haze Dream by Urban South Brewery is a Hazy IPA with fruit and spices and is being evaluated as a Fruit and Spice Beer (category 29B based on the 2021 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines). Hazy IPAs are known for their juicy/tropical fruity/citrusy hop-forward character, hazy appearance and lighter-than-typical American IPA bitterness. Fruit and Spice Beers should have a harmonious balance between the fruit and spices with the base beer style. Sunshine Haze Dream is brewed with tangerine juice and vanilla beans and is hopped with Citra and Comet hops.
Sunshine Haze Dream pours golden in color, is extremely cloudy, and sports a moderate off-white head. The aroma is moderate vanilla and moderately light citrusy hops with a light tangerine fruit. The flavor is prominent vanilla and moderate tangerine fruit with a light citrus acidity; light citrusy hops complement the fruit flavors. The beer finishes with a light bitterness and a light citrus acidity with a strong lingering vanilla spice and tangerine fruit.
The flavors of Sunshine Haze Dream very accurately depict those of the ice cream novelty Dreamsicle (also called Creamsicle). (For those that do not know, a Dreamsicle/Creamsicle is a novelty ice cream bar of frozen orange juice with a layer of vanilla ice cream on the inside.) The slight citrus acidity detracts from the otherwise very smooth character of the hazy IPA. Regardless, this hazy offering will bring you back to the days of your youth eating ice cream bars; I can almost hear the jingle of the music from the truck of the ice cream man. Cheers!