Space case

With Metalman stepping aside, the niche for physics-themed beers has been taken by new operation Outer Place. Beers two and three from them arrived in July.

Interstellar is a 5% ABV pale ale, hopped with a no-nonsense combo of Strata and Cascade, resulting in an enticingly juicy aroma, one strong enough to entice me from across the table as I write this. A closer sniff brings it into focus: pineapple and coconut with a hint of something drier and more breadcrust-like in the background. That pushes to the front of the flavour, a kind of caraway or poppyseed savoury character that I really don't care for. Behind, there's perfectly pleasant peach and, yes, pineapple -- sweet and fluffy in the New England way -- and then the faintest of orange juice tangs adding a little bitterness to complete the picture. There's nothing strange or startling here; you've doubtless tasted many a beer like it and if haze is your thing there's much to enjoy from yet another one. I quibble with that savoury foretaste, though fully admit it may be unique to my palate. Either way, this won't be a regular fridge filler for me.

They're three for three with haze and hops, concluding today's pair with Particle Shower, an IPA. We're up to 6.5% ABV with Galaxy and Mosaic as the hops. It's pineapple-juice yellow and smells bitter despite the haze, full-on west coast grapefruit. Hooray. There's more of a sweetness in the flavour, the grapefruit mostly mellowed to tangerine though retaining a little of an acidic edge. The alcohol gives it substance without going to extremes and it's certainly not hot or messy. It's not exactly clean either, however, with some earthy grit from the haze and more savoury qualities, this time garlic. While interesting and multi-faceted there's no real brilliance on show; it's just another hazy IPA, albeit one with more of a bitter edge than most.

I'm not sure if the Outer Place project is aiming to create beers of the sort the owner likes, or that will sell, but either way I'm going to get bored quite quickly if they're all like this. Some originality in beer four would be very welcome.