Fernie Brewing Company The Eldorado Single Hop IPA American IPA at 6.4% ABV | 75 IBU (C$2.72 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 355 ml, best before 24-Apr-2018, acquired 5-Jan-2018, reviewed 7-Jan-2018)
Appearance: hazy pale gold with one fat finger of rocky white head, good retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: grapefruit and lemongrass, doughy caramel, stone fruit, floral, earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry bitter finish. (4/5)
That’s kind of cheating a little, innit? “Single Hop buuuut…. we added lemongrass. Which shares some flavours with hops.” It’s not bad, actually, even if it is cheating. The lemongrass pumps up the citrus I’d normally associate with El Dorado, but also adds (or maybe emphasizes?) an earthy floral note. My only real complaint is that the malt and yeast are coming across more as doughy caramel, than crackery and pale, which I think would work better, both on the tongue and in the finish. And, OK, fine, putting a BB date on the can is better than nothing, but I’d still prefer a packaging date. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
