We're all about learning and bettering ourselves here at Polly's - if there's one thing we've learned in our near-five years as an active brewery, it's the importance of balance and understanding the hop varietals we work with to a T. When we commissioned the recipe for On Balance, we wanted to bring some of the most potent and pungent hops in our cold store to the party; displaying the importance of understanding the flavour profiles on each, and creating a balanced drinking experience from first to last sip. Sabro does the heavy lifting here, with those lime, coconut creme, and mint notes playing perfectly of a sliiiightly smaller addition of in-house favourite Mosaic and its punchy bubblegum, tangerine and berry notes. Finished with a pinch of Simcoe to taste, this might well be the most balanced beer we've produced to date.
Hops: Mosaic, Sabro / HBC 438, Simcoe
Reviews
Paul G
@ radbeer.com2 years ago
4.0
Very deep amber colour and opaque haze on this brew with very little head retention. Very rich peach and apricot on the nose, fruit jumping down your nostrils immediately, you also get a sense of the body to come. There is a lighter sweetness on top of the heaviness that brings pineapple and bubblegum to mind, that's Mosaic for you.
Silky smooth, pillowy soft, juicy as fook and a big boi with a long rich finish. Lots of stone fruit reflecting the aromas it gives. Very little in-mouth carbonation which is fine, it's got alot of fruity hop to float in there! It's a good choice for colder weather as the 8.1% ABV rears its head providing a slight heat, there is a taste of alcohol but it merges with apricot flavour nicely like a boozy dessert or confectionery.
Polly's have aimed for sheer balance approach here so there is no outstanding/leading flavour, more a decadent harmony. It's cream-like smoothness makes it slide down pleasurably and keeps it approachable whist not sessionable.
Not the best DIPA ever but this one has obvious quality and value as per Polly's usual M.O.
EDIT: it gets even softer after a while out to breathe to the extent of being gulpable, it's amazing really, so I must raise my rating from 3.8*