Fernie Brewing Company Sabro Single Hop IPA American IPA at 6.7% ABV | 60 IBU (C$3.69 at Collective, 473 ml, best before 27-Nov-2019, acquired 16-Jul-2019, reviewed 21-Jul-2019)
Appearance: hazy pale amber with two fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: coconut, tropical and stone fruits, bready malt, resiny pine, green vegetal. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter slightly astringent finish. (3/5)
The only other time I’m certain I encountered Sabro hops was with Sixpoint’s Dabble, which was quite similar. Here again I’m finding the coconut and tropical fruit are giving a distinctly Piña Colada character. There’s also some mild resiny pine, particularly in the finish. I always like single-hopped beers as an exploration of the character of a given hop, even though they often (as in this case) also expose some limitations. No surprises there – very few hops can stand alone in my opinion. This is slightly vegetal and sharp, and would probably benefit from blending with something like Galaxy or Citra to balance it out with some citrus. All in all, though, it’s decent. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
