Beer reviews: Kiitos' "Rimando Citrus" and Offset's "The New Feels"
Two summer beers dripping with fun seasonal flavors
By Mike Riedel @utahbeer
Kiitos - Rimando Citrus: This new experimental version of Kiitos' Rimando IPA features citrus terpenes, a highly aromatic compound that can add incredibly potent aromas and flavors to beer. One of the remarkable aspects of terpenes is their ability to mimic and intensify flavors found in various fruits, herbs and spices that they come from. In this particular beer, citrus terpenes were used—with excellent results.
It poured a nice light-orange color that takes on more of a lighter pineapple hue when held to the light; nearly two fingers worth of off-white head died down to a thin ring that eventually faded away. The aroma starts off with a slightly high amount of medium sweetness, with the citrus being the first to show up, as it imparts welcome blends of fruity aromas that give it a pith-like feel. Up next comes a little bit of doughy yeast, followed by a light hop aroma.
The taste seems to be similar to the aroma, but it's a lot more citrus-forward. Up next comes some more sweetness, with the hops following to impart a generic hoppy flavor—a little bit of citrus and green. On the finish, there's a moderate amount of bitterness with a little more sweetness, along with a bright orange-peel aftertaste. It's smooth, refreshing, crisp and medium-bodied, with a moderate amount of carbonation.
Verdict: The terpenes here really take this beer to the next level, as the overall citrus profile absolutely comes off as natural. I could drink a couple of these without getting bored with it. What I like least about this beer, however, is the balance; I wish more malts and hops came through to balance out the fruits, and make it feel not so shandy-like. I would buy this beer again when looking for a fruity beer, and I would recommend it to anyone else looking for the same.
Offset - The New Feels: The New Feels is a New World pilsner, drawing inspiration from the West Coast pils style that emerged from SoCal a few years back. It starts its life as a traditional pilsner with the enhancements of Callista, Anchovy and Superdelic hops.
There's a nice pour to this as the liquid was a bright goldenrod; it's a bit muted, but definitely not a cloudy beer. Tons of soft, spongy head topped this off—quite lively and long-lasting. Melon is most dominant scent in the nose, with diesel and berries rounding it out. It's quite aromatic.
More melon pops out in the palate at first swig, with grass coming up next and berries close behind. Soft and bright pilsner malt dominates the mid-palate, with a burst of citrus breaking out with a bit of extra life as you proceed towards the beer's end. Not overly grassy, light, or diesel-like, this felt like a lively active West Coast pilsner. Session beer? You have a winner with this one, as a bit of fruit cocktail and apricot juice emerged once this fully warmed up.
Verdict: I was really impressed with this brew and how fun it was, as this was not a typical pilsner by any stretch. Those looking for a summer beer with more hops, less body and a taste off the beaten path would be wise to seek this out. Surprises like this are always worth the effort.
I found The New Feels at The Bayou in SLC, but you may also find it at Slackwater and, of course, at Offset's Brewery in Park City. Rimando's Citrus is a small batch that is only available on draft at Kiitos Brewing in SLC.
As always, cheers!
About The Author
Mike Riedel
Local boy and pilot of City Weekly’s best gig, The Beer Nerd column since 2017. Current photojournalist at KSTU TV (Fox 13) and host of the Utah Beer Blog and Beer Nerd Radio on KUAA 99.9 FM radio.
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