Night Shift’s Fluffinity IPA

I remember flying (many flights…) for a past employer and imagining, as we would descend through the clouds, how they looked like you could walk on them. Some even looked like ski trails in the winter snow. I so enjoyed the idea of walking on clouds and would recount those vivid scenes over in my mind in later days. I’m sure kids have also imagined walking on clouds as the lay on their backs in a field on a summer day. Well, a New England brewery has helped us beer enthusiasts with a similar connotation with one of their latest creations. Let’s look once again at Night Shift.
Night Shift Brewing of Everett, Massachusetts has its beginnings in a kitchen in Somerville, MA. During 2007, co-founders Rob Burns, Mike O’Mara, and Michael Oxton began homebrewing at night after their normal work day jobs were done. Their hope was to make beers for friends and family that were more flavorful than the commercial choices on store shelves. By 2012, the trio had moved their hobby to a small warehouse in Everett and launched their business. Their “create better” mindset and passion for great beer for loyal customers soon grew their staff, production, and distribution in the local marketplace. They began to self-distribute their beer in the back of an old Subaru but quickly found the need for expansion in that regard as well. Today, Night Shift Brewing still operates and distributes from their Everett location. They now offer a craft coffee and hard seltzer side to the business and have opened a massive tasting room and eatery at LoveJoy Wharf in Boston. They also support a “pop-up beer garden” where their beer is served and supported by food trucks. Look over their website at NightShiftBrewing.com.
There are a myriad of New England IPA’s out there and all are proclaiming they are juice bombs or hop bombs. Many look like orange juice while others are dank and dense. But all have the citrusy, piney, tangerine aroma and flavor that IPA lovers crave. Well Fluffinity fits into all of those categories. This golden-hued 7% ABV comes in just shy of a double IPA rating. I find it very approachable and balanced, like all Night Shift brews. There’s not a lot of hop bite (no IBU rating on the can) and yet not exactly sweet due to malted grains. Notes of mango, tangerine and other citrus flavors are at the top of the taste awareness. Overall, Fluffinity is a medium bodied, well rounded IPA most people will enjoy.
BeerAdvocate.com has not officially scored Fluffinity as of this writing but followers on the BA site are giving it pretty high marks (3.92 being the lowest). You can buy Night Shift brews beers in 16 oz four packs at Case-n-Keg in Meredith as well as other fine beer providers. Hopefully you can experience walking on clouds too with Night Shift’s Fluffinity.