Castle Island Vern

One of the hardest things about starting a new brewery is consistency. Once a brewer gets to the point that they brewing beer professionally they usually have some good recipes, but consistently executing these ideas on large scale can take some time. Some brewers learn from their mistakes as they go, but a select few hit the ground running and make delicious beer from day one. One brewery that seemed to figure things out very quickly is Castle Island, it’s no surprise that they are being recognized as one of the best new breweries in the country, and they need to expand to meet demand. I’ve enjoyed every beer I’ve tasted from Castle Island so far, their flagships Candlepin and Keeper have become a regular entries in my beer fridge. I was excited when they announced that their new Spring beer was a Mosaic wheat IPA named Vern. I am a big fan of Mosaic hops and wheat malts usually help showcase hop flavors and aromas. Castle Island Vern is available this Spring on draft and in 16 oz tallboy cans.

Castle Island VernCastle Island Vern pours hazy light orange with a solid white head. The scent is a burst of fruity hops, mostly the tropical aromas that define Mosaic hops. The flavor is also hop forward, notes of mango, melon and orange along with a very mild bitterness. This is balanced by some malt, touches of wheat bread and crackers. Vern is light bodied, smooth and extremely drinkable, but packs a little punch at 6.8% ABV. The finish is crisp with a little lingering malt flavor. I haven’t had a bad beer from Castle Island yet, and this is one of my favorites, definitely worth picking up. Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5.

Previous Castle Island Reviews:

Castle Island TBD, Castle Island FestbierCastle Island Keeper IPA

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