Head Full of Dynomite v.1: Chinook, Mosaic, Ekuanot
Fremont Brewing Company

L: Pale yellow with a thin cap of a head. Little lacing.

S: Muted pine and melons.

T: Melon and peaches,

F: Medium weight, smooth.

O: Quite decent but not spectacular.

 

 

 

16oz can, purchased at Community Pint, in Spokane, for $4.49. According to the can, it was canned on January 9, 2017, so it's within Fremont's recommended 60-day window of drinkability.

Poured into an IPA glass, it was a turbid yellow-amber color. Big, off-white head that hung on tenaciously for some time. Eventually, it came to resemble a chunk of melting ice cream in a Vernor's float. Pretty decent lace.

Mangoish, mellony hop aroma. Pleasantly mild aroma, but not hugely compelling.

Taste, sadly much like the aroma. It's easy to drink, but the edges are so filed down that it has little to make it distinctive.

Very soft mouthfeel, but again, it's a softness that is almost to the point where you don't notice it.

I could drink this all night, but perhaps without knowing or noticing what I'm drinking. I'm generally a Fremont fanboy, but this is one of those hazy IPAs (I've had a few like this now) that is so easy to drink and undistinctive that I see no point of having again.

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a hazy, medium golden amber with a tow finger white head the leaves a thick layer of lacing. Aroma of citrus and piney hops, lemon citrus, a little pineapple and mixed tropical fruit. Flavor is pale malt with slight caramel, citrus hops, light mixed tropical fruit, lemon and grapefruit. The hop flavor tapers off into a slightly astringent citrus rind finish that oddly has a renewal of caramel flavors that linger. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess and good mouth feel. A worthy entry into the field of hazy IPAs. This one (fortunately) has less overt tropical fruit influence, although there is a little, particularly pineapple. Lots of citrus and rind. The hints of caramel in the finish really made this one worthy to me; this style of hoppy, but not that bitter IPA is not my favorite style, but this has a interesting flavor progression that kept my interest. I'll try a few of the next hop mixes to see how they work, but I'm kind of getting over hazy IPAs. Whoever is producing graphics for Fremont now is doing a great job, this can is eye catching and cheerful.

Stamped Jan-9-2018.

HFOD pours a nice deep shade of yellow, and is cloudy. Freshly made lemonade cloudy, not smoothie cloudy. It has a billowing foamy white head on top that recedes into a still impressive cap, and it's messy. Sticks all over the glass.

When I first cracked the can, I got a good whiff of pineapple. Further inspection led to papaya and guava, but with deeply rooted citric fruits underneath. It smells wonderful.

Those aromas don't really match the flavor for me. If I search with a fine toothed comb, I guess I can find them, but overall it seems a bit muddled and even dirty. There is a very apparent citrus rind presence, and actually does have a mild wet pine needle finish.

I also wasn't expecting this to be so spritzy. Though it does have a brief relationship with an initial smoothness, it's well carbonated and has a sharp and tingly feel. There is also an unexpected alcohol warmth on the end, but I'd say this is pretty well balanced due to the lingering bitterness.

Overall, I like this one. I don't love it, but it gets better with some warmth. I would buy this again if I see it, and that's probably all that really matters. Cheers!

Head Full of Dogma. Must have hazy IPA. But as is typical of Fremont, they make a better version of whatever they tackle. I'd call it more murky than hazy and there is the back of the throat unpleasantness. This one has "Rolled Oats, Flaked Wheat, White Wheat, and Rice Hulls," apparently to ensure the correct amount of murk.

Aroma of mango and orange peel. Spritzy and sharp mouthfeel. Flavor is rather sweet and quite fruity with a grapefruit peel finish. Acrid and icky aftertaste. Quite sippable but not one to repeat. From the 16 oz can purchased at Bottlecraft in Liberty Station.

 

 

 

Appearance is a hazy straw yellow with a creamy off-white head that has decent retention and moderate lacing. The aroma is a blend of citrus and pine, like a dank, resinous lemon. Flavor is a little sweet, a little bitter, with those same citrus and pine notes. Medium body, somewhat bitter finish.