Momentum Shift from Denver’s Cerebral Brewing
Making their second appearance on Belt’s Beer Garden is one of Denver, Colorado’s finest breweries – Cerebral.
The brewery was founded back in 2015 in the Congress Park neighborhood of Denver and has focused on quality, innovation, and evolution in all they do. And they have been very successful at that. Back in 2021, Cerebral bought an 18,000 square foot building in Aurora, about four miles from their OG location, to help expand their production and allow for more creativity.
While they do make every style, they are most well known for their hazies and their IPAs. And, as they are rare finds for me, when I saw Momentum Shift, I had to try it.
Momentum Shift is a hazy IPA brewed with Citra, Motueka, and Nelson hops. It features a solid 6% ABV and the 16-ounce can cost me about $7 but it’s $18 for a four-pack at the brewery itself…so best to get it straight from them.
The beer poured a murky, opaque, golden straw color with just over a finger of eggshell white head building up. Those bubbles faded down into a razor thin ring around the edge of the glass with barely any foam remaining in the center. The lacing was minimal as well, with almost nothing left on the sides of the glass.
The aroma was packed with juicy notes of pineapple, mango, and stone fruit. Some pithy citrus was noticeable as well, with some grapefruit, orange, and lemon zest peeking out. There was a slight diesel and resin quality from the hops while the grist added some flaked grain breadiness underneath.
Each sip begins with a shockingly light and watery feel. There’s just a touch of fizz that shoots across the tongue initially before the flavors really begin to pop.
The pineapple and grapefruit lead the way with a slight acidic and tart twinge. Although it doesn’t take long before the juicier qualities show up. Big bursts of mango, peach, and white grapes blended in with the original fruitiness of the brew.
Around the midway point there is a tiny diesely bite that builds and adds a bit of resin and a dash of herbal pithiness, alongside some brut-like dryness.
The finish is rather clean, with just a bit of that citrus peel and pineapple acidity lingering on after everything else had faded. It sits rather light as well, making this beer rather crushable.
Overall, it’s got a lot of nice flavors and finishes really nicely. It’s lighter than most hazies but still manages to keep all the flavor of a more full-bodied brew.
