Hill Farmstead, Toppling Goliath, and Trillium are all mega hoppers with rave cult followings because of one particular fruit-juicy hop: Galaxy Hops. Going to these hallowed destinations for a taste requires waiting in a helluva long line -- but lucky for us, we have a Galaxy-driven hit IPA brewed right in our own backyard: Crux Fermentation Project’s Cast Out IPA.

Loaded to the brim with these mega-tropical hops that pound the palate with all the fruits, Cast Out is a universe of flavor unto itself. Community ratings further prove its lure for hopheads, as it owns a solid 4.04 on BeerAdvocate.

Galaxy Hops first hit American shores back in 2011, and Crux was among the first to try its rare Australian majesty, infusing Cast Out with it just a year later. They liberally douse the brew in the kettle for maximum flavor extraction, and in the dry hopping stage for peak fruit punch aromas. Thick mango smoothie aromas brightened with lemon drops call your nose to action. The flavor is guava and passionfruit galore, yet dry and mildly sweet for a crisp, brisk finish.

In other words -- if Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum were a beer (and not chewy), it would taste like this. You can drive all the way to Vermont, Iowa, or Massachusetts if you wanna, but for us, we’ve got a delicious holdover with the Galaxy concentration in Crux’s Cast Out.

4.04 on BeerAdvocate
Canned on 11/6/17