I think every beer fan has a brewery or two that they are always meaning to check out and for one reason or another just haven’t had the chance to make the trip (except for maybe the Mass Brew Bros, I think those guys have hit every place in the state at least once). I have a list with a few breweries that I really need to visit. Between my crazy work schedule and the family obligations that come with having a young child I don’t make as many brewery stops as I would like and a few places have been on my to-do list for far too long. Possibly the most egregious example was Medusa Brewing Company in Hudson. I had heard great things about Medusa but never made the trip. This was bad when I lived in Watertown, but became inexcusable with my move to Sudbury. Fortunately I finally righted that wrong, the whole family made a stop at Medusa on Saturday afternoon, and after a little tasting I grabbed a couple growlers to go. As a little make up for the amount of time it took to make the trip I’ll be doing back-to-back Medusa reviews, one today and another later this week. I let my wife pick her favorite beer that we sampled for one growler, and her choice was Mesmerist, an India Pale Lager dry hopped with Citra, Chinook and Meridian hops.
Medusa Mesmerist pours a clear light orange with a solid off-white head. The scent is full of tropical and citrus fruit aromas from the hops. The flavor is also very hop forward, notes of grapefruit, lemon, pine and guava along with a mild bitter kick. This is balanced by a mild malt backbone, hints of biscuits and toast. Mesmerist has a medium to light body and the easy drinkability that you associate with a lager, but packs a little kick at 6.6% ABV. The finish is crisp and clean with just a touch of hoppy aftertaste. I really enjoyed Medusa Mesmerist when I had a taste at the brewery, and enjoyed it even more with a full pour from the growler! Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5.
Hoppy Boston 
