All Over the Map
Refined Fool Brewing Co.

473 mL can from the brewery; no canning date and served slightly chilled. I was about to mention that this is an uncharacteristically spartan label for Refined Fool, but it turns out that the explanation provided for said label is very much in character.

Pours a bright, clear sunny yellow colour, producing nearly two fingers of bubbly, foamy white head that fades steadily over the next five minutes. A respectable swath of sticky lace clings to the glass afterwards, with a sudsy, frothy collar and thin cap lasting on. It has a fruity, fairly fragrant aroma that includes notes of passion fruit, guava, peach and berries, with hints of lime and white grape.

Not bad at all - I'm tasting passion fruit, peach, berries and mandarin orange slices in syrup, with hints of coconut coming through later on. A touch of herbal, almost spicy hops at the finish; low yet discernible bitterness then dissipates into a tropical aftertaste of coconut, passion fruit and pineapple candy. Medium-light in body, with assertive carbonation that prickles the surface of the tongue; crisp mouthfeel that makes for a more refreshing pale ale than most. Very drinkable, and a realistic session option at 5%.

Final Grade: 3.81, a B+. IPAs this light often leave me feeling underwhelmed, but All Over the Map is flavourful, aromatic and an all around solid pale ale worthy of a firm thumbs up. This was a small-batch brew and I doubt there's any stock left at this point, but I would say this is a recipe worth bringing back - if not as a seasonal then at least in their next IPA mixed pack.