Man, what’s going on in NYC these days? This is the third brewery we’ve covered in just the past few months (granted, these breweries have been around for a while and it’s not like I’m discovering them or anything, but still) and they seem up to par with their brethren at Other Half and Grimm. I’ve been a little lazy on the uptake with these things, but I think that’s come to an end.
SingleCut is a reference to a body style of guitar, and most of their beer names appear to be music references of some kind. This particular beer is named after an 18-Watt amplifier and while I’m not positive what Billy refers to, Billy Gibbons (of ZZ Top fame and bearded glory) seems to favor the 18-Watt in his setup. SingleCut makes a series of “Billy” beers though, including Half-Stack and Full-Stack (also amplifiers), so who knows? What is this, a music blog? Let’s get back to the beer, which looks to be one of them newfangled Northeast IPAs, though this is the low-wattage version clocking in at 5% ABV, so you could probably take down a few of these no problem:
SingleCut Billy 18-Watt IPA – Pours a very cloudy straw yellow color with a finger of white head that leaves some lacing, very Northeast Milkshake IPA appearance. Smells that way too, tons of green hops, floral aromas, huge, juicy citrus, tropical fruits, mangoes and tangerines and the like, really nice. Taste follows the nose, lots of juicy citrus, some floral and herbal notes, and a nice, tight bitterness in the finish. Mouthfeel is well carbed, crisp, and relatively dry, light body, quaffable stuff. Overall, yup, this is some fantastic stuff. A-
Beer Nerd Details: 5% ABV bottled (500 ml). Drank out of a charente glass on 6/24/16. Bottled: 6/10/16 (I think that’s what the label sez).
Yeah, so I think we’ll be seeing more from these folks in the coming months, so stay tuned.