Trolley No. 5 Brewpub First Crush White IPA at 6.2% ABV | 36 IBU (C$1.92 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 355 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 28-Mar-2017, reviewed 31-Mar-2017)
Appearance: cloudy pale gold with two fingers of loose white head diminishing rapidly to a thick creamy cap, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: coriander, citrus zest, wheaty malt, tropical fruit. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, mild spice. (6/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mildly bitter and spicy finish. (3/5)
This is the first proper review I’ve done of a Trolley 5 beer: I did three (Derailed Pale Ale, High Five IPA, Hey Porter) at the Alberta Craft Beer Charity Festival about six months ago, and graded them from 6/10 to 7/10 – but as they were three among twenty-some-odd, they don’t really stand out. (Six ounce tasters, not pints, I hasten to add!) This, unfortunately, also doesn’t really stand out. Heavy coriander is really the only remarkable aspect of this (and not necessarily in a good way), making it somewhat more appropriate to a Witbier or Hefe, than a White IPA. The hop character is mild to the point of muted, making this a bit muddled and boring. Interestingly, one of the best examples of the style I’ve had is another local brewer, Ribstone Creek, whose Great White Combine is really stellar. This, well, isn’t. (12/20)
6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
