IBUsive
Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon

 

 

 

97 I’m not sure but nice one from a top brewer.
L: from the can and it’s stylish
S: bitter dank. Nice
T: delivers on the nose
F: smooth rich
O: worthy no doubt.

Poured into a wide mouth shaped goblet: color is gold, transparent, head is white/off white and presents 1 finger thick, then dissipates to ring and some lacing on the glass sides.

Smell is pine, citrus, dank, light sweet malt, hint of caramel.

Taste follows with pine, citrus, dank, light sweet malt/light caramel.

Mouthfeel is low/moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness, moderate bitterness.

Overall a full flavored, hoppy, solidly bitter IPA.

2x12oz cans into a dimpled stein (go big or go home)
canned on 06/20/22
L: deep copper colored ale with a frothy ivory head that fades to a thin layer of foam
S: caramelized grain, pine, grapefruity citrus
T: pungently bitter notes of earthy pine & grapefruit zest; caramel & bread crust for malt; mango & orange blossom in the mix as well
F: medium body, very resinous, moderate carbonation, pungently bitter finish with pine & grapefruit zest lingering
O: delicious IPA!

 

12 oz can poured into a Fat Head's pint glass at 40 degrees F:
L - golden with a slight orange hue and a soft puffy white head
S - mango, resin, pine
T - mango, resin, pine
F - soft and fluffy
O - very nice beer

 

 

 

 

 

The first thing that stands out about this beer is the mountain of foam and the almost obnoxious excess of carbonation bubbles streaming upward. Once the extraneous bubbles die down it leaves a layer of white foam covering the top of a clear golden-yellow liquid and lacing along the sides of the glass. The aroma and taste is chock full of bright citrus notes of orange and lemon, with a pleasant amount of resin and a hint of pine and grapefruit that is appropriately toned down, and some light grainy malt backbone. It’s bitter, but the well-rounded flavors keep me coming back for more. It had a classic taste and feel that almost seems ordinary except for the many small things done right that add up to overall excellence.

 

 

 

 

 

Tasted from a 12 oz can obtained in Ohio.

L - Deep gold or orange color with superb clarity. White head is not overly active after the pour and quickly fades away to almost nothing, leaving a few patches of minuscule bubbles clustered together.

S - Strong, fresh hops aroma blends pine and lemon, some grapefruit and maybe a hint of cat pee in the background. Malt does not break through in the nose.

T - The flavors are all about the hops as well. I get mostly citrus notes of navel orange, lemon and grapefruit, but also some pine notes that give some depth. As in the aroma, malt flavor does not assert itself enough to be a factor.

F - Thin to moderate body. Low to moderate carbonation is prickly vs. smooth. Massive hops bitterness is assertive and hot. Moderate alcohol heat.

O - This is an excellent example of a a classic West Coast IPA, albeit the beer is not from the West Coast, of course. My mention of lack of malt character is not a flaw for the style, but my personal preference is to have that malt, which is why I tend to prefer DIPAs over IPAs.

This is really good and tasty but its really similar to a lot of their other really good IPA's. Very bitter and hop forward, its a great beer it just doesn't seem much different than the other ones.

That being said theres still nuances it just is really similar. However the brewer's price point is part of why im so positive their ipa selection is still so good in general that the price is currently a total steal.

The head's not only fat, it's foamy. Almost three inches of it sits in a clear glass liter mug, after the emptying of a pint can. That head is just slightly off-white, in the direction of the color of the beer. The liquid residing beneath is a pretty light copper-amber. It's not murky dense, but it is more opaque than translucent. The hop presence in the aroma is undeniable. It seems to have it all; some pine, some citrus, some resin and even some earthiness. Before the hop taste appears, the thinness of the medium is noticed. There is some malty taste to counterbalance the hops, but not enough to make this a great brew. The hopping is excellent, making this a very drinkable brew for a hop head. But this will have to go into the good, but not great category. Devouted hop heads won't mind, as this starts a little piney, with hints of fruit. Then, there's a transition and the taste becomes more piney and earthy. At the finish, it becomes even more piney, bitter and dry. Overall, this is a wonderful hop experience, marred by a light and somewhat flat delivery. All that foam left scant lacing inside the glass, perhaps a sign of a body shortchanged. The 7.5% ABV is just about perfect for the overall taste.

 

 

Thanks to Ozzylizard for this one, from his first NBS BIF #14 box. 16oz can (dated 6/14/21) poured into 14oz teku. Poured a lightly cloudy orange color with an inch+ of white head that had good retention and lacing.

The aroma had a bunch of bright, citrusy hops, with a solid grain base.

Same on the tongue; the bold, bright interesting taste that used to typify American IPAs. Solid base, with attention grabbing hops on top.

The body on the fuller side of medium, smooth with a touch of coarseness, and a bitter, dry finish.

Drinkability was very good. I could easily put these on repeat.

Overall, A really good beer. It would be in my regular rotation if local to me. Get some if you see it!

On tap at Fat Heads Brewery in Middleburg Heights, OH.

This one pours a clear golden yellow color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells like weed, grassy hops, lemon rind, grapefruit zest, pineapple, orange, and slight maltiness.

This is a powerful and classic West Coast style IPA. There's a clean and refreshing bitterness here, like pine and cedar, with grapefruit pith and juice, orange, pineapple, and just a hint of supportive malt character.

This is clean, light bodied, and with no real booziness to it. It's very drinkable.

Fat Heads is one of the best purveyors of the classic American IPA style.

IBUsive from Fat Head’s. Purchased on 9/9/21 from Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA. $ 3.00 (Including tax) per 16 oz can ($0.188/oz). In reefer at the store, stored at home at 42 degrees. Reviewed 12/9/21. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Marked on can bottom rim “CANNED ON 06/14/21”. Served at 46.9 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 55.5 degrees.
Appearance – 3.5.
First pour – Pale Straw (SRM 2), clear.
Body – Pale Gold (SRM 4), clear. When rear-lite, same.
Head – Large (Maximum 6.7 cm, aggressive center pour), white, medium density, slowly diminishing to a 0.1 to 0.4 cm crown and a rocky partial cap. Irregular pieces of foam remain on the sides of the glass. Second pour produces a dense two cm head.
Lacing – No bands or torn curtains, just irregular islands of foam hanging on the walls.
Aroma – 4.5 – Fantastic! Heavy resinous hops, no malt, no yeast.
Flavor – 4.25 – Begins lightly bitter with resinous, slightly dank, hops leading the way. No malt, no yeast. Very refreshing with just a hint of pineapple. No ethanol (7.5% ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. Moderate gastric warming. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3.75 – Medium, watery, soft but lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4 Damn, this is good! I’m going back to my local distributor and buy some more!

 

1 PINT can
Served in a stemless wine glass

This beer pours a brilliant amber hue. It is topped with several inches of beige head that leaves nice lacing.

Citrus and pine with hints of tropical fruit.

Citrus and resin. Nice, bitter finish. Bitterness lingers. Hints of tropical fruit

Medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel

If you want delicious midwestern IPAs go to Fat Head's. Hands down the best at the craft.

 

 

 

Appearance: Pours a clear golden color with a frothy head; decent retention and speckles of lace

Smell: Citrus and pine dominates, but there are herbal hemp and tropical fruit tones in the mix, as well

Taste: A bit of stone fruit, up front, with a burst of pine bringing the high IBU content; grapefruit, tropical fruit and a touch of marmalade settle in, as well, but the finish is dominated by the bitterness

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Not quite a classic West Coast IPA, but one that has a more modern touch with the subtle hints of tropical and stone fruit mellowing things out; glad to see this one come back after an extended absence and I wonder if the recipe has been updated over time

Thanks, Blogjackets, for the opportunity

 

16 ounce canned 06/14/21 (41 days ago) poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at fridge temp 7.5% ABV 90 IBU. The beer pours bright golden amber in color with prolific khaki colored head. The head recedes to tight half inch cap and leaves streaks of lacing covering the glass. The aroma is moderate in strength featuring candied orange, pine, and ripe tropical fruit. The taste is semisweet caramel with immediate strong bitterness before flavors of citrus, pine and tropical fruit salad pop through with a heavy dank profile throughout. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, excellent.

 

Pours a brilliant copper orange color with a thick cap of sticky white head. Absolutely beautiful in the glass.
Aroma is very dank. There is some grapefruit and caramel but lots of earthy dank weedy pine.
Just a kiss of sweetness. The flavors blend nicely throughout the sip. Bitterness is wonderfully balanced.
Very smooth medium body feels pillowy with ample carbonation.
Overall this is a top notch west coast IPA. This complex and sophisticated brew belies the brash branding.