I met some hops the other day, when I asked how much I had to pay. I thoroughly enjoy what Tombstone is doing across all style guidelines, it’s a very versatile crew but their greatest skills are decidedly spec’d in hoppy dps as a rogue class summoning rhizome familiars. They seem to take the NEIPA model and then ratchet it back just a touch, feathering the throttle gently to let that gurgle of apricot, tangelo, zested grapefruit come in a low rumble out the catback manifold. It isn’t trub but it isn’t west coast 2row asceticism. It’s this weird balanced decadence where it is oddly pretty and doesn’t come across as watery as some NEIPA “all dry hop bruhhhh” but isn’t crystal to the point of sticky offputting Midwest execution. They thread the needle beautifully, and this tangerine and conifer endeavor is intensely crushable, the croosh index is as supple as the pine cones it evokes. You can step on this shit all day. The finish has a faint sweetness like a lemon danish dipped in vape oil. The whole thing is exceptionally well done and they are secretly ramping up quality with each batch. Ground Control has a solid little hookup here and I’m hoping AZ locals take a bit of stress off the already heated CA can market. Maybe even compel reverse saturation and some of CAs inland empire people leave and go embrace their true melanoma sand spirit. We can only pray, 951 lifted silverados and 909 busted ass WRX exodus.