Remember that Starburst commercial with a little man in green velvet chanting “Berries & Cream, Berries & Cream, I’m a little lad who loves Berries & Creammm!”? Well shockingly, I got to share today’s Cloudberries IPA with this whimsical character and it’s an experience I want to recreate again and again!

I was at the premiere spot for hopheads in Portland, Gigantic Brewing, for the release of their latest juicy treat. The brewery’s award-winning IPAs always disappear like magic, so I wanted to snag a few cases before bottles even left the taproom.

And there he was, sitting at the bar with a frothy pint, chuckling in a gleeful manner. How could I not approach? I asked what he was drinking, and he exclaimed in wide eyed delight; “Why, this is the greatest beer in all the hoppy Portlandia Kingdom - Cloudberries!”

A flashy twist of his wrist and a pint *poofed* before me (really, the service was just super fast). The fruity fiend seemed to have forgotten all about cream and needed to know, “Do you taste the berries and Hops?”

And really, I did! Bursts of bright strawberry and luscious peach exploded from Mosaic and #527 Hops, wafting in a sweet aroma that made me see stars. All while a resinous mouthfeel magically masked the 7.8% ABV in a smooth, balanced body. No wonder this guy was gleefully drinking pint after pint.

Too new for reviews, now’s your chance to experience this latest juicy magic from Oregon’s IPA award-winning brewers before the rest of the country even gets a chance. Take your tastebuds on this adventurous, hoppy journey -- but don’t be surprised if you start chanting “Berries & Hops, Berries & Hops, I’m a little lad who loves Berries & Hopsssss!”

*This beer is too new for reviews (the elf may have drank most of the supply)

Encouraged to enjoy while watching this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYX_zhlTDr8

Packaged On January 7th, 2019