City Lights - Cthulhu Hazy IPA
Beer Review
The Looks
The packaging for Cthulhu is truly unique. It has artwork from local Milwaukee artist Evelyn Fin. Evelyn is married to the City Lights Brewmaster, Jimmy Gohsman, so it’s safe to say, this couple has made a work of art, inside and out. As you can tell from the picture, the artwork depicts a monster. It’s fitting because the name Cthulhu comes from an H.P. Lovecraft short story “The Call of Cthulhu”. Cthulhu is described to be a mix of octopus, dragon, and caricature of a human. My favorite part of the artwork is that Evelyn was able to make the monster look very much like a bearded beer drinker like me!
In terms of what’s inside the can, the beer has a very pleasant yellowish orange color, and the hazy part of the IPA is evident by it’s translucency.
The Smell
As soon as you breathe in, the citrus and floral scents make you feel like you are on a beach in the Caribbean. I get a distinct smell of pineapple, which I find very uncommon. The smell immediately makes me want to take a drink!
The Taste
Cthulhu, for an IPA, is surprisingly sweet. In a time where it seems that IPA’s are in a race to bitter-town, this beer plays it cool. Don’t get me wrong, you definitely get some bitterness, but it seems more like a hoppy shandy than an IPA. I personally think that this would go well with a nice garnish, specifically a pineapple.
Final Thoughts
Unique is the word that I keep coming back to for this beer. From it’s artwork to the sweet scents and tastes, this beer breaks some norms. My only problem with it, is it was released in November! This would have been 100% a beer that I would be drinking all summer. I could see myself sitting on a patio with the sun shining, glowing with sunburn, but instead I get to drink it in my apartment with snow outside!
If you want to hear our thoughts? We tried Cthulhu on epidsode 3 of the podcast!