Foxtail Brewing Co. Next Chapter – American IPA at 6.8% ABV (C$4.14 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 17-Dec-2019, acquired 9-Jan-2020, reviewed 14-Jan-2020)
Appearance: clear deep gold with two fat fingers of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and heavy soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: mild, citrus, dank pine, caramel. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (4/5)
Not that I’m complaining, but it seems like new local (well, Alberta, anyway) breweries are popping up faster than I can keep up with them, let alone keep up with every new beer. It’s a little hard to believe, these days, that I used to have to travel to other provinces (or countries!) to find new beers! Of course, the flip side of that coin is that it’s a crowded field and simply being local is no longer sufficient to impress – the beer has to be able to stand on its own merits (not that it never didn’t, in my book, anyway). Along those lines, I mean no disrespect when I say this isn’t all that impressive a beer. It’s pretty as hell, with a clean bitterness, and has absolutely no negative characteristics – but it’s also significantly lacking in the aroma department. I’d rate this higher if the aroma popped more, but it’s really a more traditional – if not flat-out old-fashioned – AIPA in that sense. “Next Chapter”? Not so much. Good, but not great. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
