Fathom IPA
Ballast Point Brewing Company

The clear deep golden colored beer pours out into a Duvel glass with a 1/2” ivory head that slowly recedes to a thin layer and irregular island of foam on the surface of the liquid while leaving a ring and sheets of foam and lacing on the sides of the glass. Sipping creates a couple of arches and lots of small patches of lacing.

The aromas showcase the hops with some citrus, orange zest, and pine resin all backed up by some bready malt.

The flavors are much as expected from the nose with the orange zest, some grapefruit, and some pine resin riding on a malt backbone that has a bit of caramel sweetness. The bitterness is moderate and balances well with the light sweetness.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with some crispness from the moderate, persistent carbonation. The medium length finish begins as the malt sweetness and most of the hop flavors begin to fade while, dry, resin tinged bitterness wraps up the ending.

On the whole this beer is full flavored and easily drinkable. The various hop flavors play nicely together and they are all backed up by that bready caramel malt sweetness that softens things a bit but does not cover up the hop flavors or the bitterness. I’d have this one again. Seems a good solid IPA that is a good example of the style but not one that stands out from the pack in any way.

RB transfer

 

Slightly hazy, golden color. Nice, white head. Malt, pine, and citrus in aroma. Hoppy bitterness dominates in taste. Malty sweetness in the background.

Picked up as part of a mixef twelve pack at Curtis Liquors in Cohasset, MA for twenty three dollars. No decipherable canned on date on the box. Cam shows 8/8/23, which explains the mediocre taste.

 

Can from a co-worker. Medium gold, clear, small frothy head. Aroma is straight forward , leaning more to the malts. Taste too. Sweet, bready, light bitterness.

Can pour from a Sculpin multi pak-clear medium gold straw color with quickly dissipating white head leaving scattered frosty lacing. Not much in the way of nose, looks and tastes like a WCIPA. A serviceable and drinkable middle of the road brew.

 

My first IPA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from a can. Pale gold color with a thick head. A well balanced beer with sweet bread and citrus flavors. Crisp with a clean finish. A very drinkable IPA.