Vancouver Island Brewing and Land & Sea Brewing Co. Collaboration-Deadhead Hazy Session IPA

Vancouver Island Brewing and Land & Sea Brewing Co. Collaboration-Deadhead Hazy Session IPA Review

This hazy session IPA is named after the Southern Resident Killer Whale K-27, also known as Deadhead. The Orca’s name, as you can probably guess, is in honour of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. Deadhead is a part of K pod which currently has 18 members, the smallest of the three SRKW pods. In 2011, Deadhead gave birth to her first, and so far, only offspring, male K-44 or Ripple. Deadhead, like all Orca’s, can be identified by her saddle patch which, like a human fingerprint, is unique to each individual whale.

As a session IPA, Deadhead is calm, soft and enjoyable. It has an orange-tinged straw colour and a large billowing head that leaves some fine lacing. It is well carbonated and has the fluffy soft mouthfeel you would expect from a hazy ale that includes wheat. The aroma is light and predominantly orange with hints of pith, white pepper, mango and pineapple. Deadhead is nicely bitter throughout but specifically in the non-abrasive finish. The palate shows citrus juice, soft pine and berry.