Appearance (6/6)

The beer pours an opaque gold with 3cm of moderately dense, frothy, white head which dissipates into a solid cap within 2+ minutes. Exceptional lacing with decent head retention. Good.

Aroma (21/24)

Strong intensity with sweet-ish balance. The aroma is enticing and hop-forward with a New World feel to it. Loads of tropical fruit (mango + pineapple + passion fruit) along with sweet orange and mild pine. A dash of herbs with a trace of vegetal dankness and a smack of peachy stone fruit. The dry nose is citrusy with low malt-sweetness. Great aroma.

Flavour (35/40)

Follows the aroma with strong intensity, bitter balance, and pronounced perceived bitterness. The juicy palate opens up with notes of tropical fruit (passion fruit + mango) and stone fruit (peach) making way for a flavourful center filled with sweet orange, pine, low grass, more peach, and a minerally edge. The medium-length finish is strong and quite balanced with notes of grapefruit, mango, low pine, some minerals, and mild crackery malt.

Mouthfeel (10/10)

Medium body with medium-low carbonation. The mouthfeel is quite crisp yet slightly creamy with restrained alcohol warming and an off-dry finish. Mild astringency with no actual harshness on the palate.

Overall (16/20)

Badlands Brewing's Batch 1 is an excellent beer. Pouring out like orange juice, the expectations are set for a lush drinking experience. An enticing, liberally fruity aroma leads into an intense overall flavour with substantial depth. The mouthfeel is good if a little thin for a hazy IPA - still, I think it's fine the way it is. I'm pleasantly surprised: this is an off-flavour free and tasty brew worth drinking if you're into hazy IPA's. Batch 1 goes beyond my expectations. What a day of broken expectations!