MEBC brews several IPA and I believe this is the first one they've bottled. They first bottled their Cali Creamin' ale and followed that up with one of my personal favorites, Pin Up Pale Ale. They actually just recently started bottling, so this being the 3rd beer to be bottled isn't exactly a surprise.
Kismet comes in at 7.2% abv and is brewed with New Zealand and Columbus hops. The beer pours out a real hazy golden color, almost bordering on copper and orange (it's orange in the picture but definitely a bit lighter in person). Can't see anything through the beer. There's about a finger maybe to a finger and a half of a bright white head. The head sticks around a bit and when finally dissipates leaves it's mark with some nice white lacing.
The initial aroma on this beer is fantastic. Big fruits. Papaya, a bit of Mango and some really nice Pineapple characters coming out. There's a piney scent, almost an earthy floral note that is coming through behind the fruits. Going back for a second opinion I get a bit of a Peach character, almost like the peaches you get in the snack cups with syrup. A bit sugary and sticky. Nothing wrong with that.
Finally deciding to stop drooling I take my first drink (of this bottle, I've had this before on tap). Immediate hop bitterness that is delicately cut by that fruit note - Papaya and Mango are immediate. Middle of the mouth there's more bitterness from the hops. Not a ton of bitterness, but just enough to keep your tongue tingling for a bit. Back of the mouth I get that sugary, syrupy peach flavor that I got on the nose. It's subtle and takes nothing away from the initial blast of hops and tropical fruits. Great carbonation on this beer with a perfect mouth feel for an IPA. It's a very good IPA all around from beginning to end.
Overall, this is very solid. Not overly bitter and not overly sweet. I'd say it's a very good blend of the bitter IPA and the more citrus/tropical IPA. As I continue to drink this I get a lot more of the hop bitterness in the back of the throat. It's pretty mellow and I like that. There's a time and place for the hop bombs and fortunately Kismet doesn't lose it's identity.
I recommend this beer for anyone who likes IPA. Kismet is a solid offering from MEBC. I highly recommend checking out MEBC if you're in San Diego especially up in North County where they're located (Vista to be exact). I give this beer a 7-7.5/10 for a solid B+/A-.
This isn't my favorite MEBC IPA but it's probably right up there. It's worth picking up if you see it in the stores or like I said, if you're in the area, it's worth getting if it's on tap. MEBC has a constant rotation of beers so hitting the tap house while Kismet is on isn't always a guarantee. Check out their website to see what's pouring. It's fairly accurate.
Rating: B+/A-
PS, my wife takes all the pictures for the blog. She's far better with a good camera than I am. I don't want to not give her credit but FFS, this blog is named after her opinion of beer... (which btw, Kismet tastes like beer)
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