Welcome to Beer Tastings, a weekly series in which Utah Beer News highlights a particularly tasty local brew. This week: Grapefruit Revolution from Shades Brewing. What are you drinking? Let us know!
Beer Tastings: Grapefruit Revolution
If I’m not mistaken, Grapefruit Revolution from Shades Brewing became one of the first local “hazy” Northeast-style IPAs to burst onto the craft beer scene in Utah.
For me, it’s a perfect blend between the juicy characters you like in a hazy IPA and the hop bitterness you’re looking for in a traditional IPA. Aromas of citrus, primarily grapefruit, some orange and a little lemon.
A burst of grapefruit flavor hits you early, and it mellows with some grassy notes toward the end. The beer pours opaque. It’s a pale yellow beer milkshake. Mouthfeel is thick, but there’s also a crispness to it.
Grapefruit Revolution is the second straight beer (after Kiitos Coffee Cream Ale) we’ve featured in the Tastings column that also earned a spot on our 10 Utah Craft Beers Perfect for Your Next BBQ.
- Brewery: Shades Brewing
- ABV: 4%
- Serving Style: Draft
- Date Tasted: August 25, 2018
- Purchase Location: Shades Brewing
Shades Brewing: Making a Name
Shades Brewing in South Salt Lake isn’t the easiest brewery to find. If you think you’re in the wrong spot, keep going. You’re probably just about to knock on the brewery’s door.
Hidden from view on West Temple (thanks to a new apartment complex), Shades’ brewery entrance is off Utopia Ave. Look for the loading dock. Once inside, take a right down a dark hallway. Soon, a tap room emerges with a beautiful bar and plenty of parlor games. Food isn’t available on-site, but bringing your own is welcomed.
We talk more about the Shades Brewing experience in this post where we also review Kveik 3.
Grapefruit Revolution — Shades Brewing
Product Name: Grapefruit Revolution
Product Description: A tasty Northeast-style IPA with plenty of haze. Grapefruit is prominent, but I also got some grassy notes toward the end. It's juicy but there's still a nice hop bitterness.
- Aroma
- Appearance
- Flavor
- Mouthfeel
Overall Impression
Grapefruit Revolution, if we’re not mistaken, became one of the first local “hazy” IPAs to burst onto the scene in Utah. It features strong citrus notes. Its juicy but still has a finishing bitterness important in IPAs.
- Aroma: Grapefruit, orange, some lemon
- Appearance: Opaque, mellow yellow, off-white head dissipates moderately
- Flavor: Big citrus, lots of grapefruit and some orange; on the bitter/juicy scale, leans more toward bitter
- Mouthfeel: Thick and rich
But you don’t have to take my word for it.
Note: The tasting notes format is adapted from a Homebrew Academy Beer Tasting Mastery course I took in 2017.
