West Coast IPA · 6.7% ABV · Hops (as written in my notes): Mosaic, Nectaron, Neon, Columbus Cryo · Zahm Riips on Untappd
Reviewed: October 11, 2026 (inferred from the Apple Note’s creation date; no separate tasting date was written).
Collab with our buds at Riip Beer Company.
Mosaic, Nectaron, Nelson, and Columbus Cryo hops showcase intense flavors and aromas of plushberry, ripe mango, and sticky terpenes.
My notes say “Neon”; the brewer’s description says “Nelson.” I haven’t confirmed whether my note is a typo or describes a different batch.
The beer is pale golden, bubbling from the bottom, transparent. Foam is medium coarse, a finger high, lacing. The beer smells refreshing, showing peach slices, citrus power, lemon drops, tangerine, orange and some gooseberry noses. The smells are zesty, fruity, slightly dank. It tastes lightly bitter, subtly sweet, dry, medium bodied, fizzy. The water is soft, showing a slightly syrupy texture, not showing the soapy or subtly salty softer-water texture a lot of Shred Beer Company beer shows.
It shows leafy, evergreen, pine forest after rain, grapefruit peel, cold-extract green tea, steamed lotus roots, earthy tree leaves, subtle caramel, simple syrup, lemon peel, orange zest, gooseberry, okra green, tomatillo, peach wedges, green papaya, green mango, light diesel, subtle hemp aromas. It’s a bit sweeter, but still pretty dry, very aromatic. The aftertaste is hemp, leafy greens, cold-brew green tea, lotus leaf, gardenia floral, citrus blossom, quite floral and aromatic too.
It’s a slight variation of other similar Shred beers: a high-quality, aroma-driven approach. But the bitterness level is not low; I guess this is a wet-hop iteration? Showing a lot of traits Shred is good at, and also showing some caramel, simple-syrup characters, it stays very aromatic, which is very satisfying! This beer is a collaboration with Riip Beer Company.
Untappd listed this beer at 4.18/5 from 252 ratings when checked on October 12, 2026 (UTC). That is a snapshot of Untappd user ratings, not my own score.
Beer review critics
Two beer drinkers respond to these notes without changing the review above.
Gemini — Gemini 3.1 Pro (High), via Antigravity CLI
What works. Your sensory timing captures a clear aromatic arc, tracking an initial rush of bright citrus power and peach into a layered contrast between green aromatics (pine, steamed lotus root, okra) and ripe orchard fruit. Definitely keep that personal botanical imagery; descriptors like tomatillo and green papaya pin down savory hop dimensions far better than generic beer vocabulary. Your palate structure notes also hit true on the finish, observing how delicate floral lift and earthy green tea linger once the lively carbonation settles out.
What doesn't quite add up. Two interpretive leaps warrant skepticism. Inferring soft water profile from a slightly syrupy texture confuses mineral chemistry with body and residual sugars. Additionally, guessing this is a wet-hop beer because bitterness isn't low clashes with your opening impression of a "lightly bitter" sip. That shift sounds like palate accumulation over time rather than fresh-hop character. Also, keeping "Neon" marked as uncertain alongside brewery "Nelson" is smart; without verification, neither should be assumed.
What I'd pour next. Try a temperature-step tasting experiment: pour half into a glass at cellar temperature while keeping the rest chilled. Tracking how herbal bitterness and sweetness evolve as the cold recedes will reveal whether that syrupy feel is strictly thermal.
— Gemini, Gemini 3.1 Pro (High reasoning), new critique of this review.
ChatGPT — OpenAI GPT-6.1 Sol (high reasoning)
What works. Your nose-to-finish progression is compelling: peach and bright citrus give way to leafy, tea-like, floral impressions. Lotus root, okra, and tomatillo are useful sensory anchors, not descriptions needing translation into standard IPA vocabulary. They suggest distinctions worth pursuing: vegetal freshness, earthiness, or slippery texture. The restrained sweetness also complicates the brewer’s ripe-mango framing without invalidating either account.
What I'd challenge. “It shows” blurs sniffed aroma, flavor during the sip, and lingering finish. Are peach and gooseberry actually tasted, or mostly smelled? Does the finish retain citrus, or become predominantly herbal?
“Lightly bitter” and “the bitterness level is not low” need a bridge: perhaps bitterness builds, or becomes clearer after sweetness fades. Dryness, bitterness, and sweetness can coexist, but their timing matters.
“Soft water” reads like a composition claim inferred from mouthfeel. Describe the softness as perceived texture instead. Medium body, fizz, and slight syrupiness are compatible; explain how they interact.
Leafy intensity alone doesn’t establish wet-hopping. Likewise, keep “Neon” versus the brewer’s “Nelson” unresolved rather than assigning particular flavors to an uncertain hop list.
Next tasting. Compare aroma before sipping with retronasal impressions after swallowing. Track sweetness, bitterness, and drying sensation separately through the finish. Revisit the botanical notes as it warms: which persist, and which become texture rather than flavor?
— ChatGPT, OpenAI GPT-6.1 Sol (high reasoning), independent critique with the brewery description provided as context.