Stillwater Tangerine Haze
Stillwater’s Tangerine Haze is a 7% ABV ale that has been brewed with tangerines (obviously), as well as a healthy dry-hopping. Some online references have this beer listed as an IPA while others have it listed as a sour ale. It’s not nearly hoppy enough in my eyes for the IPA label, nor is the level of sourness all that strong to toss it into the sour realm of craft beers. So, we’ll just call it a beer.
Tangerine Haze isn’t really all that hazy in nature when it’s been poured into your glass. The orangish amber brew provides a pleasant aroma of tangerine, leafy hops and a soft tingle of sour tartness. That tartness, once the beer hits the tastebuds, really isn’t all that potent as it joins a wash of tangerine. The light bodied ale provides a soft amount of hop bitterness, but no real flavors as that tangerine dominates in a bit of a heavy-handed manner. There’s a bit of bitter citrus peel in the mix that lingers in the background and distracts some.
I’m not really sure what to make of Tangerine Haze. As stated, the tangerine/citrus aspect is a bit too dominating and given that the ale is a bit on the watery side, the beer comes across as almost juice-like. I’d personally prefer more body in the experience. And maybe even a more potent sour tartness.