468. DESTIHL Brewery (Normal, IL) - Deadhead

“Like the bold colors & patterns of a tie-dye shirt, this classic West Coast-style IPA is bursting with psychedelic hoppy & fruity aromas swirling with abundant American hop flavor & bitterness and a vintage malt backdrop.”

I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something going on here that I don’t like. The bitterness is upfront and fairly pervasive, to the point that what fruit flavor there is remains mostly obscured—and everything in the first part of this sentence increases notably as the beer warms up. The second one was better, however—less bitter, and with more evident flavors of papaya and lemon. It still feels empty, though; and it bothers me that I can’t figure out why I don’t like it.