Ferret The Younger Triple IPA
Culmination Brewing

Cans from brewery, canned 3/13/2020, notes from 3/30/2020.

Far more hot and alcoholic than I thought this would be, also far less fruity and hop-forward due to the strength of the alcohol flavor and burn. The caramel malt character/flavor and orange from hops is pleasant enough, but the alcohol is overpowering, making this somewhat of a hot mess, and this generally becomes a disappointing triple IPA that's almost more in line with a US barleywine style. A month later (5/6/2020), the beer has smoothed out quite nicely: while still extremely alcoholic-sharp, the hops have melded well to a buttery caramel-like body. It's still like a US Barleywine, but the components have integrated better.

Pours a dark beige to light tan foam that fades, in longer than average time, to a medium-sized ring around the perimeter of the glass and a small island of film atop the body. Lacing is modest, a few dots and small blotches cling to the sides of the glass. Body is a golden orange color, with light bringing out somewhat brighter golden orange hues (SRM 10-12). Transparent.

Aroma is of alcohol sharpness/pungency, orange and grapefruit-like hops in a moderately dark caramel-like syrup, slight earth/soil character.

Flavor of fairly strong alcohol joined to medium-colored caramel malts with an orange-grapefruit pith and mild tropical fruit flavors, though the alcohol largely overpowers many of the subtleties of the hops. Front: medium-colored caramel malt character and sweetness mixed with mild orange and sweet grapefruit character, strong alcohol flavor, spice, and burn, and a slight earthy/soil character in the background. Mid: strong alcohol flavor/heat/spice, medium to medium-high hop bitterness, medium-colored caramel malt character, background of orange-grapefruit pith and mild tropical fruit hop-derived flavors; all largely overpowered by alcohol burn and spice. Back: alcohol heat, burn, and spice, followed by hop bitterness with some orange, grapefruit, and light tropical fruit characters, all atop a barely perceptible base of base and medium-colored caramel malt character. After: strong lingering burn and spice from alcohol, medium-strong hop bitterness (though somewhat obliterated by alcohol heat), moderate hop spice, mild remnants of medium-colored caramel malt character, orange and grapefruit hop flavor, and some minor tropical fruit notes in the background.

Beer is medium to medium-heavy in body, with carbonation of medium intensity, resulting in a balanced foam and smoothness that works well for the beer (2.3-2.4 vol CO2). Alcohol burn and heat is easily felt in the mouth, throat, and nostrils; unappealing. Closes very dry, with medium stickiness on the palate and lips.

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a lightly hazy, coppery orange with a quarter finger light khaki head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of carmel malt, citrus hops, orange, tangerine, mixed stone fruit, slightly dank and boozy. Flavor is lightly caramel malt, citrus, dank and piney hops, orange, mixed, but undifferentiated tropical fruit and grapefruit, with pine developing into an appropriately bitter finish with moderate resinous pine and citrus rind. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Hews to a classic Northwest triple IPA profile with a bit lighter caramel depth to the malt, although the robust hopping is well supported. The finish is a bit drier than expected due to the strong caramel in the aroma, but once again, the malt is supportive of the hops into the finish. Been a while since I've had an opportunity to get a new, non-hazy triple IPA and it's good to spend an evening with this one. This is a worthy big IPA from Culmination and I'll keep my eye on them.

On tap the recent NWIPA TIPA fest.

The beer pours a golden amber with very good head retention and lacing. On the nose, there's plenty citrus, tropical fruit and light dank week, with some noticeable pepper as well. There seemed to be a slight grassiness as well that I found a bit unusual (but not unappealing). The flavor profile replicated the nose pretty closely, with citrus and tropical fruit up front and prominent. The finish was fairly dry, and the beer had good bitterness with no heat from the alcohol (no mean feat with this kind of abv.). Mouthfeel was fairly full, and the finish was long, moderately bitter, and quite clean. Alcohol is very well integrated into the flavor profile I thought.

Not that I'm surprised, but this was quite excellent, and was second only to Georgetown's Tank Girl among my favorites beer at the fest. Impressive.