IPA Of The Month : January 2014 (Ginger)
Foothills Brewing Company - Downtown Brewpub

 

 

 

 

Served on-tap at Foothills Brewing Co. in Winston-Salem, NC

A: Pours a hazy medium apricot in color with light to moderate amounts of active visible carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass and some medium yellow highlights. The beer has a finger tall foamy white head that slowly reduces to a thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer with a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of citrus/grapefruit hops with a light amount of honey sweetness.

T: Upfront there are light flavors of pale malts with some light to moderate amounts of honey sweetness. That is followed moderate to strong flavors of citrus/grapefruit hops which impart a light to moderate amount of bitterness which fades pretty quickly.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: Easy to drink and very enjoyable with well hidden alcohol. Really nice showcase for the hops - similar to Jade but highlighting a different hop. Definitely one I would grab again and now I am looking forward to trying the rest of the month's IPAs this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from a bomber into a shaker pint, the beer is a bright, golden-copper coloring with a tall, chunky, frothy, bright white head. There is a ton of carbonation throughout the body. Nose of spicy hops, bitter and resinous notes, and pungent green characteristics. Flavors of tropical fruit forward, with lime, kiwi, and apricot up front. Toasted backbone, with a caramel and toffee character. Light, effervesced body, with a citrus fruit aftertaste, light and tart. Frothy, sharp, crisp finish, with a tart citrus linger and subtle drying feel. Tasty and refreshing.

 

 

Pours a hazy blonde color with a really attractive, lumpy white head. Mostly floral hops upfront in the nose leading to some melon, wet grass, and a ripe, citrus-like fruit I can't quite put my finger on. Somewhat pungent with an underlying powdery sweetness. More melon in the flavor with pears, a certain "green" quality that I get from Simcoe, grapes, and a dry citrus aftertaste. Interesting and unlike most other IPAs. Horizon must be a pretty funky hop...I think it may work better in support of other hops rather than being the showcase. Oily and peppery. I hate to steal notes from brentk56 below, but his comparison to Nelson Sauvin is right on. Medium bodied, becoming creamy, finishing not quite crisp enough. I think this is going to be a fun series...

Very delightful inch high white head over a hazy/dirty gold colored beer. The head fades to a pleasant 1/4" of of foaminess leaving plenty of sticky patches just above the beer surface and all around the glass. Aroma is stinky with fruit, dark but tropical, citrusy with blood orange and tangerine, candy encrusted white bread/pale malt, fainter pine, light fuzzy raspberries, and a touch of creamy apricot. Very interesting fun smell arangement. Taste is fitting. All sorts of hard to pinpoint fruitiness, rock candy, and an unexpectedly gradually increasing bitterness. Tropical and dark come to mind again/funky tropical red berries and citrus. Some lighter softer mystery fruits as well... Rock candy sweetness and green grapes/wine-like fruit. Sweet kind of citrus and a light brushing of evergreen leafiness. Mouthfeel is smooth, slick, slightly syrupy, moderately dry, and somewhat resinous. This is an interesting and enjoyable beer. It actually seems more to me like a double IPA because of the intensity of flavor.