As we head towards the end of the year we will inevitably get a deluge of “best beers on 2021” articles popping up on every beer-related or even beer-adjacent website. I understand why people publish these articles, they generate plenty of interest, clicks, comments, and shares. In fairness, I will probably put out a similar article to the best beers I reviewed in 2020 article I published in January. I have no issue with these articles, as long as they are very clear about their limitations. With thousands of breweries spread across the country (not to mention the rest of the world), it is nearly impossible for any individual to try even a fraction of the beers released in a given year. So when I see an article on the best hazy IPAs in the country I laugh out loud at the audacity, and then I usually click on the link to see if any local beers made the cut. What can I say, I can’t resist the clickbait. This particular listicle did feature a couple of local examples, including their #1 hazy IPA, Uncanny Valley from Burlington Beer Company in Vermont. I had tried and enjoyed this beer before, but never formally reviewed it, so this seemed like the perfect excuse to do just that. Burlington Beer Company Uncanny Valley is brewed with Mosaic and Citra hops and is available year-round on draft and in 16 oz cans.
Burlington Uncanny Valley pours murky deep yellow with a solid white head. The aroma features a big burst of hops, loaded with tropical fruit. This is a hop-bomb NEIPA, notes of passion fruit, guava and tangerine, along with a very mild and soft bitterness. A pale malt backbone adds balance along with touches of crackers and bread dough. Uncanny Valley is medium bodied and super-easy drinking, at 7% ABV it is in line with other beers of the style. The finish is crisp with plenty of residual hop flavor. This is an excellent NEIPA, while I think “best of” lists are usually clickbait, I can absolutely understand why this would end up on one! Hoppy Boston score: 4.75/5.
Previous Burlington Reviews:
Hoppy Boston 
