Animal
Fort Point Beer Company

 

 

I try as hard as I can and I usually rate a beer competitive to its style. As hard as I try with AIPAs, I usually fail (Of the Top 50 AIPAs on BA by number of ratings, I've had 20 and not one of my ratings is above the BA average rating... I call that failure to rate to style.) There are some things a malt-head just cannot do. That said, I'm not qualified to review Animal.

So instead, I will offer a micro-review of Fort Point. This is my second from them and finally went on their thoughtful website and see they are now pushing 12 years and have three locations. All good. They also have a very good website, clearly describing their brewing philosophy without a lot of the usual abstractions. Fort Point also is careful not to give the impression to MAGA-types that they are a collective of air-headed SF liberals. Well-grounded, Fort Point will be around for a while; certainly long enough for me to sample their saison in part because Fort Point seems also to have a very thoughtful food menu. And for all that, I give them excellent Overall Hugs.

 

 

 

 

Appearance: On draft. Slightly cloudy yellow gold with nearly an inch of pillowy white foam that insisted on hanging around and sticking to the glass.

Aroma: Big notes of tropical fruit and pine resin.

Taste: On par with the nose. Hoppy bitterness. Lemon, grapefruit, pineapple, pine, alcohol, malt.

Feel: High carbonation. Heavy and thick.

Overall: Lovely complexity although some might find it on the heavy side.

Pairing: The tropical fruitiness went well with a thin crust artisan cheese pizza; unless you're not into the whole pineapple on pizza thing.

 

 

 

It looks fine. It's maybe a 6 SRM by my judgement -- a light golden. Initially, it has a small head that drops quickly to a ring on the glass. Lacing is more than moderate. Minimal haze; a clear beer.

It smells nice. The smell is reminiscent of the hops involved; fruity and very pleasant. Smell alone is almost intoxicating. A high point of this beer.

Taste is high quality and Fort Point produced something they carefully crafted. It's quite a malty beer with the strong presence of hops. The hops are fruity, even "topical" as advertised, but bitterness is on the very low end.

Mouthfeel is heavy, thick, sweet, fruity, and without the balance of much hop bittering. It's a good feel, but a bit too heavy overall.

Overall a good beer.

 

 

 

 

 

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a lightly hazy, medium golden amber with a two finger white head with great retention and thick lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, citrus and tropical fruit hops, light orange and lemon, mixed tropical fruit and a little dankness. Flavor is caramel malt, citrus and tropical fruit hops, pineapple, orange, grapefruit, light stone fruit, pine and hints of green onion melon. Resinous piney finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess; nice mouth feel. A flavorful IPA that seems really busy when I list all the fruit flavors (plus pine), but everything fits together quite nicely. Mostly citrus, but there is some tropical character, although not as much as a hazy IPA. Looks great, smells and tastes good and has a good solid malt mouth feel. I like this. Even more impressive, I think this is probably an older can, ordered from California. It has held up well. A nice introduction to the brewery.

Poured from can into pint glass. Cloudy, darker-golden color with finger head. Looks good. Good nose of tropical fruit but not 'super fruity' iykwim. More than a hint of pineapple, perhaps mango and orange, but not overly juicy. Hop tang is good but not overpowering. Pretty good balance of bitterness and juiciness, and actually has a refreshing quality to it. Tasty beverage.