Reviewed: Pure Project Super Beta
Official description: The fourth member of our Quarterly Core IPA series is a hop-driven tour de force. We blended a trio of New Zealand grown hops (Nelson, Motueka, & Southern Cross) to add assertive notes of lemon-lime, mojito, and delicate white wine, along with a hefty addition of Mosaic hops from Loftus Ranches in Washington to deliver finishing accents of ripe apricot. A thoughtfully mixed malt bill delivers a sticky full-bodied mouthfeel, with a hoppy soft bitterness as it finishes.
Pure Project Brewing – Pure Project Super Beta – 16oz can served in Rastal Harmony glass – 6.5% ABV
Background
Pure Project has become one of my favorite San Diego breweries. Recently, they expanded from their modest tasting room and brewery in the Miramar industrial area to a beautiful indoor/outdoor space in Balboa Park, another in Carlsbad Village, and a new production facility in Vista, CA – a space vacated by Iron Fist Brewing. For those in the San Diego area, Super Beta is still available at the various Pure locations. You can even order beer for shipping to CA and NV only at their webstore. Though “Murky IPAs” (as the brewery describes them) are arguably their specialty, Pure excels as just about every other style from barrel-aged saisons, fruit sours, pilsners, and pastry stouts.
Review
I’m reviewing Super Beta from a 4-pack of 16oz cans that can be picked up for $21 plus tax. On this particular batch, I wasn’t able to spot a canning date printed anywhere on the packaging. I do like, however, that Pure Project has opted for paper CanCollar 4-pack holders vs. the plastic PakTech holders.
Into my glass, Super Beta is a fairly turbid, translucent, glowing gold color with impressive buttermilk-colored foam that rises over the edges of the glass without spilling over. There’s near-infinite retention that is only broken by losing patience and taking the beer to your face. Bringing up the glass, Super Beta rewards you with a nose of spicy, pulverized hops; sweet canned pineapple; and juicy ripe papaya. Digging in, Super Beta leans sweet with granulated white sugar, ripe cantaloupe, and more juicy papaya paired with green mango skins and modest spicy hops for balance. There’s just a touch of Fresca/aspartame-style sweetness underneath. That gritty mineral flavor that plagues New England-style IPAs is toned down nicely. Instead, you get a dense, creamy body that pairs with tropical yellow fruits for a smoothie-like experience.
Perceived Specs for Pure Project Super Beta
Conclusion
Super Beta is just one of many murky IPAs from Pure Project that do a great job of creating a sweeter, tropical fruit smoothie experience. It’s tough to pick out just one of these and say, “This is the one to get!” Rather, just about any of their Murky IPAs are worth picking up as the special releases like this one change frequently. The NZ hops used in Super Beta may give this one a slight edge over the others and place it as one of my favorite hazies from Pure.
VERDICT: 94 pts (OUTSTANDING)
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