The Thing from outer space

Is it a drugs reference? I don't get the reason for the latest in Sierra Nevada's Little Thing series of beers being called Cosmic Little Thing. Is it, like, "woah, cosmic, maaan"? I don't know. On the front of the pint can we are promised "an interstellar wave of tropical flavor". Uh-oh. 

For once, the promise is kept. The aroma doesn't give us much tropicality, just a pithy, zesty, citrus tang. The flavour, however, raids the sweetshop for everything flavoured as pineapple, passionfruit, mango and guava. It's not real fruit and there's no juiciness, going instead for candy chews or jellies: perfumed, chemical, and extremely sweet to the point of turning bitter. There's a little bonus complexity too; some sharper resins and a welcome peppery spice.

Doubtless the 8% ABV helps provide a generous platform for all the hop goings-on. It's a full-bodied double IPA, with the fun pillowy texture typical of hazy IPAs. Despite its general bigness, it's not boozy and slips back a little too easily, perhaps. I level no criticism at the very tall boy packaging format.

This is a good ramping-up of the things that make the flagship Hazy Little Thing IPA a good beer, while incorporating features from the Big Little Thing west-coast double IPA. I still don't know what makes it "cosmic", but it's a nice little big thing.