Looking back at my reviews, it has been more than a year since I have reviewed anything from Flying Monkeys. This seems unjust, since it was my beloved home brewery for a period of time when I lived within walking distance.
I suppose that I’ve just been waiting for a good reason to blog about a new Flying Monkeys concoction. The brewery has been a ubiquitous and reliable brewer in the Ontario craft scene for many years now.
They consistently churn out quality product, with a steady line-up of core brews and frequent one-offs and new entries.
I’ll be frank, I haven’t taken the time to fact check, but I can’t recall Flying Monkeys dipping their tails in the triple IPA waters. Those are dangerous waters, hard to perfect.
In my experience, triple IPAs run the risk of being overly bitter or pungent, losing the flavour profile.
That said, when I heard that Flying Monkeys planned to widely release a new triple IPA, my reply to our founder Danny Brown’s post in our Facebook group was “Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Please.”
Spoiler alert: I was not disappointed.
The delightfully branded Sparklepuff Triple IPA (or, to use the full name: Sparklepuff, Galaxy Starfighter & Defender of the Universe) is quirky and clearly does not take itself too seriously.
Triple dry-hopped, Flying Monkeys did not skimp on the good stuff here.
The resulting brew pours a gorgeous, hazy orange, and the aroma is tantalizing. The head was very light, but the flavour was very heavy.
The first thing that hit me was the velvety smooth mouthfeel. A pretentious term, sure, but there’s no better way of putting it. It was fluffy, airy, and entirely pleasant in my mouth. It left me wanting more.
Despite the high 10.2% ABV, it did not hit like the wallop I expected. My next thought was “oh no, this is way too drinkable for this level of alcohol”.
I suppose that’s my only complaint. Flying Monkeys should be condemned for making a fluffy, aromatic, crushable IPA at a heavyweight ABV.
Seriously, crushable should not be in the same sentence as 10.2%, but there it is.
The flavour profile is intriguing, as well. The peach flavour really shines and complements the hoppiness wonderfully.
This balance is what makes this cosmic crusader so drinkable. It is slightly sweet, but the slight bitterness of the hops still shines.
I wanted to give this less than a perfect score, I really did. I initially put down a 4.9, but just couldn’t justify it to myself, so it is full marks for Flying Monkeys. Normal is weird, but weird is magnificent.
- ABV: 10.2%
- IBU: 37
- Style: Triple IPA
- Taste: Cosmically hoppy, but juicy
- Rating: 5.0/5.0
- Untappd Reviews
Ryan Heighton
Latest posts by Ryan Heighton (see all)
- Review: Sparklepuff Triple IPA by Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery - February 11, 2019
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