NOCO F.R.O. IPA
Envy Brewing

 

they call this an ipa, but i found it to drink a bit more like a pale, or maybe an ipa of a bygone era, super malty, dark in color, past copper to amber even, clear and bubbly from the tap, well refined looking, but just way darker than is fashionable right now, and it drinks a little dense and sweet as a result, although its still quite hoppy too, just balanced in a way that we dont really see much anymore, especially from brand new breweries. its certainly good beer, clean on the fermentation, peppy with hops, and round and mellow in the texture even though the flavors are quite robust, but i dont think im in love with the recipe. its got an old school northwestern hop thing going on, maybe a centennial in the mix, lightly spicy, woody, and bitter piney. nicely set against the sweeter grain, which has light maple and brown sugar character and comes across as kind of wintery overall, more hearty and substantial than a lot of these. some minerals coming through making it crisper and drier seeming than it really is, but it does warm up pretty well and again is objectively very well made beer. i guess i could see this almost as a response to the wave of overly dry hopped hazy beers that have taken over the style, and in that context i like it more. good but not amazing overall though.