Nickel Brook Brewing Co. Puppy Love – Session IPA at 3.0% ABV (C$6.30 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 4-Feb-2021, acquired 9-Apr-2021, reviewed 13-Apr-2021)
Appearance: opaque pale gold with two fingers of fluffy white head, good retention and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stone fruit, citrus, light resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry crisp finish. (4/5)
That’s surprisingly good for something with such a low ABV that it’s basically a breakfast beer. I initially thought the bitterness might be a tad high, but as the pint progressed I re-evaluated that opinion and think it’s just right. The grain bill specifies oats, to which I’m attributing the decent body despite its low ABV, and the hops are Azacca, Mosaic, and Amarillo, so, heck yeah. (And by the way, other brewers? Take note: this is how you do a label. It’s got IBU, ABV, malts, hops, and yeast, with a date code on the bottom. If I were going to get picky I’d suggest you could include OG, FG, and SRM, but I can live with this.) I’m a little surprised by the Tormogarden Kveik yeast, since there’s basically none of the funk I usually expect there. All in all, quite a little brew. (16/20)
8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze
