Jacktail is the latest year-round beer from Elysian Brewing, a hazy IPA brewed with Citra and Idaho 7 hops that the company released this spring. Based on the marketing, the new beer is “an homage to Elysian Brewing’s deep west coast roots, tapping into the mystique and nostalgia of the wilds of the Great Pacific Northwest” even as the label shows what is clearly a vintage motel sign featuring a jackalope.
As far as I know, there’s never been such a place, but I suppose it does make me think of retro, small-town PNW motels of the kind you might see on Twin Peaks or Gravity Falls (“in the wilds,” as it were). Beyond that it doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense, other than artwork that was based around the name “Jacktail” itself.
Elysian sent me samples of the new hazy IPA to review when it was released. It’s 6.1% ABV with 40 IBUs, and the website description says:
Step into the Jacktail – a fog-drenched, neon-lit escape where every sip opens a portal to the unforgettable. This smooth palate-seducer reveals juicy notes of mango, papaya, and citrus, finishing in a velvety haze that blossoms like an unshakable dream. You didn’t plan to stop, but now that you’re here, you may never want to leave.
(This description also evokes a Twin Peaks kind of vibe.)
Appearance: Hazy golden yellow and a bit of orange, with a white head.
Smell: Hazy-fruity notes with papaya and tropical fruits; a bit of green allium (baby chives) and some wheat character which gives a subtle breadiness, and some raw grain.
Taste: Solid up-front flavor and bitterness with a mix of fruit and peppery spiciness, good wheat, grainy/bready character, nothing mushy or muddled. The bitterness is herbal and minty-cool, with hints of bitter fruit peel. A touch of hop burn but it’s more the flavor than the actual lupulin heat; it leaves a powdery hop character impression into the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a bit of fluff but not too soft; it’s pretty clean without much in the way of hop heat or similar character, leaving a clean, almost cooling impression into the aftertaste.
Overall: It’s a good hazy, well defined without some of the muddiness or under/over hopping that I find in many so-so hazies.
