$29 2 For $50
Refined Fool Brewing Co.

473 mL can from the brewery; no packaging date. Served barely chilled.

Pours a golden-yellow hue, its otherwise-clear body clouded up with countless flecks of sandy sediment. More than two fingers of puffy, soapy white head lingers for at least five minutes, gradually receding down to a lumpy cap and frothy collar of generous proportion. Plenty of lace, too - looks fantastic in the glass. Lemony on the nose, with lesser notes of grainy malts, lime zest and floral hops.

It tastes fine for the most part, but there does seem to be some butteriness in the background. Grainy pale malts, lemon peel, light pine resin and floral hop bitterness are the primary flavours - other than the aforementioned wisp of what may or may not be diacetyl. It's so subtle, and I'm usually sensitive to that flavour, so I can't say with total certainty that's precisely what I'm tasting, but I'm pretty sure it is. Bitter finish with a floral, pithy aftertaste that lingers momentarily. Medium in body, with assertive carbonation and a crisp mouthfeel & fair drinkability.

Final Grade: 3.66, a B grade. I like Centennial hops, so it's not too surprising that I found $29 2 For $50 to be a reasonably acceptable, if unimaginative IPA. I can't shake the sense that there is a touch of diacetyl in this beer, having tried it on two different days and noticing the same sensation both times. Maybe it's something else, I dunno - I haven't come across a lot of popcorn butter-bombs lately, nor does Refined Fool have a history of succumbing to that particular brewing fault. Either way, it's subtle enough to not ruin the experience, at least not for me.