Full Gold
Crux Fermentation Project, Bend OR
Just as puppies are cuter than dogs and cookies out of the oven are more delectable than stuff found on grocery shelves, fresh hop beers are vibrant, vestal, and nuanced. Most such beers this year showcase Citra or Strata, but Crux was able to procure the upstart BRU-1 hop. To brewers in the know, BRU-1 means one thing: pineapple! We’re talking massive Maui Gold notes. Hence Crux’s name, Full Gold. But instead of offering sweet, Dole pineapple juice, this hazy—made with 10 pounds of freshness per barrel—is surprisingly understated with the leafy greens character expected from fresh hop ales. Rather than simulating juice flesh, the aroma is redolent of sniffing an uncut pineapple and the flavor smacks of the rigid pineapple core. While tropical fruit flavors are a hallmark of hazy IPAs, instead of residual sweetness Full Gold is refreshingly dry in the vein of Pinot Grigio (or that pineapple wine you find in Hawaii. Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it.)
Price: $17 / four-pack 16-oz cans or $5 single | 6.5% ABV
Review by Sip Contributor Brian Yaeger, @BrianYaeger
