Milk of the Murder Hornet – Peach | Hubbard’s Cave
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I can’t believe I have a favorite milkshake IPA. Heck, I also have a favorite milkshake IPA series. (For those wondering, Hop Butcher’s Blazed Orange Milkshake (BOM) and Maplewood’s Mr. Shakey series, respectively.) I don’t really go crazy for the newest milkshake IPA release or even think to order one when I’m at a brewery. I’d sooner go with a West Coast IPA or something light, I guess. So it was divine providence that I even got to try Hubbard’s Cave Milk of the Murder Hornet.
Except it wasn’t even the peach version! I went to Une Annee/Hubbard’s Cave recently mainly to try their new Clearly Hopsurd and eat some stupid delicious barbecue. I brought my wife along and she – the one-Cadbury-mini-egg-is-too-much-sweet individual – decided to order the Strawberry Milk of the Murder Hornet. And it was outstanding. Like up there with Mr. Shakey Strawberry and BOM. When it came time to leave, I checked the to-go options and only Peach Milk of the Murder Hornet was available. So that’s what I’ll be reviewing.
Milk of the Murder Hornet is Hubbard’s Cave milkshake IPA series. Along with peach and strawberry, mango, passion fruit, guava and passion fruit, raspberry, and blackberry are available. Some obviously work (hello, strawberry) and some I can see being a bit too tart/sour (looking at you passion fruit). I’ve had peach milkshake IPAs before and I seem to prefer the seeded fruits like strawberry, raspberry and cherry over the stone fruits of peach and apricot.
My milkshake IPA preferences before I begin. I ideally prefer some bitterness on the finish with a nice, balanced amount of sweetness and fruit (if applicable). No to low bitterness is fine as long as it’s not too sweet. Time to fly into the swarm.
The Beer
Peach Milk of the Murder Hornet pours an orange to yellow color with a finger of head. It glows a little while in the glass and held up to the light. Murder Hornet is cloudy, but you can see through it, especially at the bottom of the pour. A gradient occurs as well, but this one goes from being darker on the top down to being lighter on the bottom.
Definitely wouldn’t guess IPA from the aroma. The vanilla hits first with notes of peach and orange following. Heck, I’d guess dreamsicle was what Hubbard’s Cave was going for. It honestly smells like a fruited milkshake would with absolutely not hop aroma whatsoever. This worries me, as it smells like it’ll be too sweet.
But somehow it’s not. A bitterness exists on the back end, drastically cutting any sweetness from the beer. The vanilla stays firm throughout, while the peach and orange notes only arrive at the end, giving it a nice re-drink quality. That finish sharply hits you with some tartness coming from any peaches added. The sweetness does start to stack a bit that would make an entire 16 ounce can a chore for some people to finish (not this reviewer!). A soft mouthfeel helps out with moving things along, while a medium to low carbonation leaves some of the peach notes resting on the tongue.
Verdict
Peach Milk of the Murder Hornet comes off as a fine milkshake IPA. Bitterness on the end, a nice amount of vanilla and fruit in the interim, and a not-too-sweet overall experience. The only knock against it is that I had the Strawberry Milk of the Murder Hornet and it absolutely slays this one. I’m chalking it up to personal preference, as this would confirm I’m not a fan of stone fruits in my milkshake IPAs.
With my experiences with both the peach and strawberry version, I can say I’m interested and actively looking for other Milk of the Murder Hornet fruit treatments, specifically the raspberry and blackberry. If Hubbard’s Cave peach version comes off as passible despite my preferences, I can’t wait to try the rest.
Peach Milk of the Murder Hornet is available at local beer shops and from Hubbard’s Cave/Une Annee directly here (and get some barbeque to go as well). I’ll be anxiously awaiting the Strawberry Milk of the Murder Hornet release.
