Name: Rock Fantasy
Brewer: Equilibrium Brewery (United States), Verdant Brewing Co. (United Kingdom)
Style: Double IPA
ABV: 7.5%
Review Year: 2019
Named after the legendary music and pinball shop in Middletown, New York, Rock Fantasy is a hazy Double IPA brewed by Equilibrium Brewery in collaboration with Falmouth’s Verdant Brewing Co. In an attempt to capture the essence of the said venue, the two breweries concocted a beer using the hop varieties Hull Melon, Mandarina Bavaria, Barbe Rouge, Enigma, Galaxy, and Nelson.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Double IPA (22A) in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Rock Fantasy pours hazy yellow-orange with a foamy white head. Ripe cantaloupe dominates the nose. Meanwhile, this hazy Double IPA has a medium body and moderate level of carbonation. Similar to the aroma, ripe cantaloupe also stands out in the flavor profile but is backed by citrus and an umami-like character. Moderately-low bitterness. Indistinct fruit sweetness and some of the familiar umami character surface in the aftertaste.
THE VERDICT
Overall, this Equilibrium-Verdant collaboration is an enjoyable hazy Double IPA that features primarily distinct ripe cantaloupe characters. Although it pales in comparison with the other hazy doubles individually released by Equilibrium and Verdant, Rock Fantasy goes down very easily. Maybe a more diverse aroma profile could put this Double IPA up there with the other great ones made by the two breweries.
