Wet Hop Fulcan-A IPA
Country Boy Brewing

 

 

After drinking the Wet Hop Willie and feeling a deep yearning for similar taste but balanced more decisively toward the hops, here I am rewarded! The common Fulcan-A taste provides the footprint while the homegrown hops of Willie resonates with a wily resinous character.

As the IPA aesthetics provide the usual deep amber, bronzy color, the slightly milder than usual carbonation releases a lace of foam that tops the beer with cream and froth. Retaining strongly, the beer laces the glass with broken rings as the beer fades. .

In true IPA form, the hops command attention with the aroma of pungent fresh picked hops- grapefruit, grass, herb, and leaf, all encompass the notion of harvested hops. Perfumy with the resinous notes that again remind the nose of cannabis.

Sharp grassy taste governs the taste while the subtle malt support provides a sweet bready taste in its restrained balance. But as the beer progresses, it further evades the malts and shows favortism with hops- grapefruit, pine needles, fresh cut grass, moist herbs, all embark on an earthy wet wood taste. The flavors end with a deeply resinous bittering and aftertaste of sharp citrus and grass, in the most pleasant way.

With its medium-bodied mouthfeel, the malts are tight and allows a dry grain character to exhibit a terse sweetness before its bone dry finish. Bitterness meets dank earth notes as the astringency builds to close with citrus and pine sap.

With more hop character, this beer does exactly what I wanted Wet Hop Willie to do- provide the fresh harvested hop taste, aroma, and texture upon an IPA base rather than a pale ale underpinning. The results fit like a glove!