Anyone who reads my profiles knows I mark pretty hard on hazy beers. I think too many of them are just soft, flabby, and all too often just seem a little lazy. Sometimes I’ll wonder if I’m being too critical just because I’m not too fond of the style but then one as good as this comes along and re-affirms all my criticisms by showing just how good hazy can be if it’s done right. Doing it extremely right is Urbanaut Silver Palace, a solo cryo-Citra hopped IPA from Urbanaut that unleashes a huge quantity of fresh ripe goodness with its mere 5.8% ABV. Now, the brewers at Urbs are no strangers to great hazy, but I (and the rest of the judges in this case) reckon this one is a level above. Speculatively, I think its quality is significantly drawn from the hop choice of Citra, which remains the finest IPA solo hop around for my money (yes, better than Mosaic). The hops quintessential lemon and lime sharpness gives the aroma and flavour the lift and acidity that separates an ordinary hazy from a great one. The softer tropical lychee and mango are carried rapidly along by the citrus into a mouthwateringly sharp finish. An absolutely tremendous hazy, and very hopefully a model of more to come in the future.
