To Øl Yeastus Christus India Pale Ale (IPA) at 7.4% ABV | 62 IBU (C$14.20 at Sherbrooke Liquor, 500 ml, bottle date 29-Jun-2015, acquired 17-Dec-2016, reviewed 9-Jan-2017)
Appearance: hazy pale amber with two fingers of fluffy growing ivory head, excellent retention and heavy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: Brett funk, stone fruit, grapefruit, some tropical fruit. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly oily body, lively carbonation, lingering bitter and mildly warming finish. (3/5)
Yup, “farmhouse IPA” is definitely a valid style label to hang on this thing (BJCP be damned!): lots of farmhouse (well, that, or barnyard) Brett(-like? I dunno, I’m not a mycologist.) funk character battling for supremacy with grapefruit and tropical fruit IPA notes. Not all that tart, though, despite the commercial description. Might be interesting newer – perhaps there’d be more of the pithy grapefruit if you caught it within 90 days or so – but given the dominance of Brett(-like? Whatever.) wild yeast here, I kind of doubt it. If anything, this strikes me as the kind of IPA you could stick in a cellar for a couple of years just to let the funk really dig down and get established. If I happen to notice another one of these around, I might do just that. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
