The weekend has finally arrived and that is cause to celebrate with some Tasting Notes on the Oso Under collaboration project from AleSmith Brewing Company (San Diego, California) and Alvarado Street Brewery (Salinas, California).

A beer that “melds the breweries’ distinct strengths” and centers around Australian and New Zealand hops, Oso Under is a West Coast-style India Pale Ale where “Galaxy hops are the star of the show with their passionfruit, citrus, and peach flavors and aromas, while Vic Secret hops, hailing from Victoria, Australia, tout tropical fruit, herbs, pine, clean pineapple and passionfruit. Nelson hops round out this beloved Aussie/New Zealand extravaganza with fruit-flavored accents.” Coming in at 7% ABV, Oso Under “is teeming with brightness, curbed by a dry finish.”

Oso Under is rolling out now and will be available only as long as supplies last. You can expect to find this Limited Release available in 4-packs of 16 oz. cans and on draft at select craft beer-focused establishments located in California and throughout the rest of Alesmith’s distribution footprint.

Now that we are all caught up on the details behind this collaboration, let’s crack open a can and see how it all came together over some Tasting Notes!

Tasting Notes for Oso Under from Alesmith Brewing Company & Alvarado Street Brewery

Appearance: This IPA pours a dark golden yellow in color and builds right at a finger of wispy white foam. When held to direct light, the golden hue brightens and takes on a more vibrant tone. The beer is perfectly clear and displays a sparse amount of slow-moving carbonation bubbles meandering about within. Head retention is ok, falling almost immediately to a thin but lasting ring that somehow manages to drop substantial gobs of lace on the glass throughout the experience.

Aroma: The aromatics open with a wave of dank herb and resiny pine. This is then overtaken by luscious tones of peach and passionfruit. The profile closes with a burst of floral notes accompanied by a light vinous note.

Taste: A mixed bag of citrus (orange, grapefruit and tangerine), peach and passionfruit combine to create a nice tropical fruit cocktail that is dosed with just a splash of white wine. A biscuity malt presence attempts to establish some balance before being run down by hefty punches of pine and straight dankness. Pure West Coast goodness right here.

Mouthfeel: Medium in body with a mid to low carbonation level, this beer has a touch of lingering weight to it but it does dry out nicely on its own time. This allows all that hoppiness to coat the palate and slickly remind you that this is indeed a hop bomb that harkens back to the days of non-hazy IPA yore. Of course, this means the beer stays on the bitter side and offers just a tinge of malty balance. The 7% ABV is tame and keeps this crushable by full octane IPA standards. The aftertaste is all pine and dank herb.

Final Thoughts: Oso Under is the delightful line where new and old school IPA trends and techniques converge. The Galaxy hops definitely supply a healthy burst of juiciness before they are overrun by Vic Secret’s surprisingly West Coast leaning dank and resiny notes. The Nelson then keeps you on your toes at all times by offering some white wine and floral complexity. Juicy yet dank. It is all that is good in this world of IPAs and definitely a must try. Prost!