Appearance

Parallel 49 / Bench Creek Invading From Planet X It’s… THEM! comes in a white can with a 50’s / 60’s style ‘B-movie’ font and alien insects on the front. The beer pours the color of a dark latte, and isn’t particularly viscous. I like the style on the collaboration cans in this series, they’re fresh and eye catching.

Aroma

The aromas are sedate here with some piney hops, and mild citrus underneath. Overall, I found the aroma to be average, neither creating excitement for the beer or making me less interested.

Flavor

Flavor notes of creamy sweetness, with piney hops that give way to citrus hops. There is also a mild bitterness that is immediately eliminated by sweetness. Although it might appear that there isn’t a long list of flavor notes, the flavor profile is very enjoyable.

Balance

The various hop flavors are balanced against each other. The sweetness offsets the hoppy bitterness as well. Overall, I find the balance to be good, no particular flavor dominates.

Finish

Each sip finishes with creamy citrus hops. The finish is consistent even as the beer warms up. For me, the beer has a good finish. If the bitterness had carried into the finish I think that would unbalance things, but the sweetness and creamy flavor aspects provide consistency.

Overall

Parallel 49 / Bench Creek Invading From Planet X It’s… THEM! is another good and consistent beer from the brewery collaboration series. Undersold by the aromas, with a good finish and balance, I find the flavor to be very good. Overall, I’m left with an enjoyable experience that I would happily revisit.

John McTavish

SCORE

7.25

Cost/Point

$0.36

Scoring System

Personal Beer Review: Parallel 49 / Bench Creek Invading From Planet X It’s… THEM!