Talus is a relatively new hop, formerly known as HBC 692 before earning its name, developed as a daughter of Sabro and commercially released in 2020. In that time it’s earned some recognition for its tropical fruit and some neomexicanus characteristics, this spring Double Mountain Brewery highlighted it in its single hop IPA series with the release of Go Ask Talus Single Hop IPA.

Double Mountain brewed the beer with regular pellet Talus hops as well as Cryo Talus hops; I don’t know at which stage each was used (boil, whirlpool, dry hopping, and so on). The result here is a nice showcase with big fruit-forward aroma that hints at its Sabro lineage.

The brewery sent me a bottle to sample when it came out; it’s 6.2% ABV with 65 IBUs.

Appearance: Orange-ish gold color, unfiltered haziness, fluffy white head leaving good lacing.

Smell: Fruity and sweaty; passion fruit, nectarine, guava, and a bare hint of coconut and a touch of something peppery. A bit of sweet cakiness, like yellow cake with fruit.

Taste: Nice herbal-menthol bitterness, a tropical fruit skin spiciness evoking citrus, green peppercorn. Bitter greens, something akin to coconut husk, subtle stone fruit. Easy malt, with a nice snap to it, and some spicy greens (arugula, watercress) at the back.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, crisp with a good dry finish. Hint of menthol.

Overall: It’s an interesting one with an interesting hop, a bite moreish, great aroma.