Frenz (2024): Breakside, Barley Brown's & Von Ebert
Bale Breaker Brewing Company

Pint at the Westside Taphouse in West Salem Oregon.
$7.00.
Pours a clear lighter gold body, small white frothy head
Very citrus aroma. Lemon zest, tangerine and grapefruit. Lovely
Taste again citrus, but kept under control with some well placed malt. So surprising balance.

Mouth feel medium, carbonation also
Easy over the palate.
Great summer drinking

sold to me as a collaboration with von ebert, but looks like some other oregon legends, very cool this frenz project! super clear ipa, very unique and robust hop profile, yet still real drinkable because of how refined and tidy it is, expert execution here, no surprise from these guys. a pretty deep golden color with mirror shine and a fizzy white inch of head crowning it, immaculate. the aroma is pine forward at first, the simcoe sinking its heels in above a light gin note, some mango or orange, and a more substantial than it looks grain base, a hint of graham cracker there, biscuit, minerals. the flavor pops hard, and the hops hit hard early, the impact of this hop extract addition are obvious without this being overdone, green pinecone, orange melon, white grape, some oily resinous character, still in that west coast vein, but there is also an ease to the whole thing, its majorly cohesive, lively feeling, and on the dry side, without a ton of body either, short of refreshing i guess, but still really drinkable. when i really focus in on this, i feel like i can appreciate little bits of what i know about each of the breweries in on the collaboration, these four do go well together on a number of levels. a great pint, modern and sturdy without being forced, cool use of hops and hop products together, a very distinctive profile overall. juicy and woodsy at the same time. loved it!

Pours a nearly clear golden straw color with a soapy white head that leaves a nice ring around the body of the beer and leaves a bit of lacing. Definitely checks the “looks like a WCIPA” box.

The nose is led by resiny pine and grapefruit, and there’s a bit of berry and an earthiness I always associate with Simcoe-hopped beers, which this is, along with Chinook hops, another varietal I really enjoy. This is gonna be good.

The taste is led by the resiny pine, which is nicely bitter and followed by the grapefruit and some berries, with that earthy flavor present and adding depth to this wonderful WCIPA.

The mouthfeel is medium and dry, again fitting the WCIPA style. What a pleasure it is to drink this beer.

 

Pretty, clear, sparkling beer. Light head with residual lacing. Nose is hops plus citrus. First sip is a delight....prominent hop flavors, dry taste with an assertive bitterness in a long finish. Flavors are citrus with a earthy backside, just a hint of dankness. A balanced ABV of 6.2% rounds it out.

There might be better WCIPA around, but we can't recall any that has the pedigree of this one.

Clean, bitter fruity with pine, melon, grapefruit, light gooseberry and tangelo on a clean, light, dry, snappy body. Minimal sweetness and malt.