Farnham Ale & Lager 71 - New England IPA
Farnham Ale & Lager - Vermont Laboratory

 

 

 

 

Can: Poured a murky brown color ale with a large dark white foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of citrusy floral undertones with light dank notes also noticeable. Taste is a mix of dank hops notes with citrusy undertones and light guava notes. Body is full with weird color and good carbonation. Enjoyable NEIPA with nice hops profile but malt base need to be somewhat cleaned-up.

 

DATE: January 21, 2018... OCCASION: the Super Bowl is set--New England and Philly... didn't pick a New England IPA for any particular leanings... GLASSWARE: Victory Hop Devil nonick... pours a murky, nearly opaque orange amber body whose effervescence is appreciable nevertheless... its head is clumpy, thick, stout and white as snow... immediate citrus--mango, grapefruit, bright orange--mingle with spicy herbs and a reasonable bread malt backbone... fruity is its singular trait, no doubt... and that fruitiness parlays into its palate, a creamy presence that demands the next sip and keeps its 6.6% ABV from intruding on the experience... its finish lingers with a slight, inoffensive bitterness... what makes this special is that extra-fruity vic secret hops that imparts tangerine and mango in teeth-rattling proportions... the back end provides a nice, mellowing dankness that makes this a great introduction to a style I have only heard of to this point... another great gift from Jeff and his continued journeys to Vermont... thanks, friend!

 

Pint can canned on 11/28/17 opened on 1/8/18 Bottom of can also says: " Nobody exisists on purpose" Revised on 3/10/18. 6.6 % abv. And dry hopped with Vic Secret and Citra. Canned on 2/7/18. " put your hand on my can". 71 ibu.

A cloudy but bright orange hued golden color. Fat, all white foam top, only minimal dissipation. Total foam coverage. A bit of scattered lacing holds on strong with a solid foam ring at all times.

Tangy orange and zesty pineapple hoppy aromatics are very bold. Musty earth tones from the Vic Secret and Citra dry hopping method. Sweet and tangy, citrus, slightly tropical as well. A classic NE style ipa nose. Sweet and juicy !

71 IBU's does not translate into a "bitter" hop effect for me. A mild bitter hop punch at best, more of a smooth, lush and tropical juicy flavor and feel. A very unique musty, earthy, leafy thing pops out right at the end, after the complex citrus and tropical fruit taste fades. Starfruit, honeydew mellon, orange and pineapple can all be detected within the fruity side of this hop combo. The complexity of hop flavor also hides the 6.6 % abv very well. The malt is light bodied, crisp and slightly sweet, just providing enough support to give it very good balance but allowing the hops to really shine.

Certainly spot-on for a classic New England Style IPA. Leaves you to wonder what's in the water around Burlington, VT....those brewers are pounding out excellent IPA's.

Poured into a becher pint glass, the appearance was a nice looking copper to orange hazy color with a sturdy leaning finger's worth of white foamy head. Slid off at a moderate pace. Nice looking semi-speckled lace ran here and there.
The aroma seemed to blend very well some sweet light danky to earthy onion and mint to some light guava flesh. Light sweet grassiness on the back end.
The flavor presents a nice blend of the onion to the mint to the guava exceptionally nice, nice and earthy sweet with that low-riding bitterness just coming about every so slightly. Aftertaste was the guava and onion meshing fully with a "cooling brightness" rounding it out.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a fair sesssionable to sipping quality about it. Carbonation felt nice and low as a New England styled IPA should. ABV felt on par as projected. Nice semi-smooth to slightly juicy sort of finish with a little bit of mint.
Overall, fabulous New England styled IPA well worthy of having again. Great job Ben and company!