New Trail Brewing is quickly becoming one of the hottest breweries in PA and they have gained a tremendous following. If you follow Breweries in PA you can see by their fan base the love is very real. So naturally I had to get my hands on a can, and seeing that I live close to Philly the options I had were limited. I previously wrote up a Beer Battle were I compared two New Trail Beers, and I decided to follow up with a review of the winner.
Background: There is not a ton of background on the beer available other than the notes provided on the side of the can. “Tent Zipper is a Hazy IPA brewed with Germanic malts, wheat, and oats. Heavy handedly hopped with some of our old favorites Cascade, Centennial, and Crystal. Then hopped again with some of our new favorites Mosaic and Citra. Expect lush orange, deep piney resin, and a blend of your favorite tropical fruits.”
Appearance: A distinct dark green can with blue and black accents that cover a nice picture of a lake. The New Trail logo is a bit more subtle as compared to other beers this time, which I prefer. This beer pours super hazy with a khaki brown body and a light white head. I will say this is what I expect when I see a hazy poured and its a damn good looking beer, if you like hazys.
Aroma: The aroma was strong with pine, lemon and orange. After a few sips I was able to get some other tropical fruits, but the orange is the dominant scent throughout. I feel like this is one of the Tent Zippers best qualities, it smells pretty damn good.
Taste: The aroma give way to a very similar taste that is full of citrus, as you may expect from a Hazy IPA. I mostly notice grapefruit, papaya and oranges. There is a distinct sweetness that mixes well with the citrus that I cannot quite put my finger on. Its very tasty upfront, by the end of the glass the citrus may be a bit overpowering.
Experience: From the first sip to the last this beer goes down very smooth. The body feels creamy and light with a dry finish. Not too heavy or sweet and definitely not too bitter. This is definitely a well rounded pub beer. It may not stand out in the hazy crowd but it gets the job done.
Game Pairing: When it comes to game pairing I chose Green Hell released for the Nintendo Switch and Windows. In the world of survival games this one is fun and disturbing at the same time. The tropical setting was the inspiration for the pairing. The citrus of the beer will help calm your nerves as you attempt to stay alive while also dealing with all of the psychological anxiety this game presents.
Thanks for reading the review and if you would like to learn more about New Trail you can click on their link here.