I'm sure everyone has now read about the Azvex beer trio by this point, so I thought I'd take a moment to share my feedback on Space Telescopes - the 6.2% IPA they've released.
Bright white, foamy, and near picture perfect, the head on this is lasting but also leaves behind a lovely lacing on the glass to remember it by once it's gone. Based on it being heavily hazed with a brassy gold colour and sweet, tropical fruit aroma you could smell from a distance, I was expecting a total NEIPA juice bomb .The fact it looked like it could be a glass of juice didn't help prove otherwise. As I moved my nose closer, the slightly sulphuric touch you get from guava also loomed.
At first sip, I was greeted with a silky, full-bodied mouthfeel - one step below chewy - that I expected based on looks. I picked up notes of stone fruits - such as peach- more dominantly than the tropical fruit initially, but this quickly balanced out after a few sips before reverting back towards a peachier taste near the end of the glass. I had foreseen the thickness, but not the level of bitterness that pulled through. I was expecting it to be much sweeter based on the aroma, but the bitterness really cut through to balance it out nicely. I find bitterness pairs well with the snacks and food I personally enjoy, despite historically being a New England IPA fan; leaving this feeling like a fair compromise and one that'll work when doing food pairing .
While I do personally wish there had been a bit more sweetness to it due to personal preferences, I admittedly believe the bitterness is what made it quite easy to drink and wouldn't consider that a flaw. Towards the backend of the sip, there is a noticeable dryness and a slight crispness that comes off of that dryness. The hops played fairly well off each other and the beer drinks more like a session beer than a 6.2%'r. I wouldn't say there was anything in particular that made this beer stand head & shoulders above the increasing amount of IPAs on the market at the moment, but I think that speaks more to the high quality currently out in the UK market - Space Telescopes being no exception as it's clearly well made and enjoyable.
TL;DR - Taste was not as expected based on sight or smell, but enjoyable regardless. Holds up well to the other largely sought after IPAs, but wouldn't say it takes the top spot for me personally (though would love to revisit rebrews of this to see how it might chop and change).