Gr8fruit Double IPA by Wild Leap Brew Co. was judged as a Double IPA, BJCP Category 22A.

The aroma provides a tropical fruit salad jumping out of the glass. Grapefruit, mango, guava and pineapple along with a touch of peach. Super fresh and fruity. As it warmed a little, I could pick out some lime and maybe a whiff of alcohol. Nothing specific in the way of malt other than an impression of sweetness, which may have been malt-derived.  Nothing off or out of place and all the fruitiness seemed to be hop- or fruit-derived, not esters via fermentation. No fruit addition was declared, but I anticipated discovering that fruit juice had been added. After judging I found that no fruit was added, which is impressive considering the intense levels of fruit perceived. The beer is an extremely hazy yellow color and virtually opaque. It’s topped with a creamy white head that lingers. Apparently, Double IPA is becoming synonymous with hazy. Again, the beer was presented to me simply as a Double IPA with no mention of hazy, juicy or NEIPA. I’ve noticed this trend with a number of DIPAs of late not being marketed or identified as hazy on the packaging but to be discovered in the glass. Stylistically, per the BJCP, a DIPA “may be a bit hazy.” I’m sure the average IIPA drinker couldn't care less about the haze level so long as the beer assaults the senses with hops.

The flavor does not disappoint. Everything the nose encountered shows up on the tongue. The tropical fruit notes are somewhat more pronounced in the flavor but the citrus is also found. Moderately high levels of bitterness are found, which are a welcome balance to all the fruits. In this aspect the beer departed from most hazy versions and leaned more toward standard DIPA levels. Personally, I prefer the bitterness counter rather than the sweet fruit juice typical of NEIPA’s. A rather nondescript malt sweetness can be found. The finish is mostly dry with just that slight malt sweetness. The citrus reappears in the finish and lingers into the aftertaste. A touch of alcohol, a faint resin and mineral character also come through at the end. The beer has a medium body with moderately high levels of carbonation. A touch of alcohol warmth is bolstered by the hop burn and combined with the carb levels resulting in a prickly bite to the tongue.

Overall Gr8fruit is a wonderfully fresh fruity hop parade. There are a lot of hops going on in there but I could swear it had fruit added. The only real downside was in the sharpness of the mouthfeel. I enjoyed the hop bitterness levels and the balance they brought to a very fruity beer. The fact that the flavor delivered on all the aroma promised was impressive. A new world hop lover’s dream.