Narrow Gauge Brewing Company King Fallen Flag – American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.6% ABV (C$9.85 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 15-Feb-2021, acquired 25-May-2021, reviewed 4-Jun-2021)
Appearance: hazy bright medium gold with two fat fingers of loose pale ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: juicy citrus, tropical fruit, boozy sweetness, resiny pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-full body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky lingering bitter warming finish. (4/5)
I had really high hopes here: I’ve had NEIPAs in the past that just didn’t live up to their full potential until they were re-done as DIPAs, and I was hoping that’d be the case here. I’ve had both the base and DDH versions, and found them to be very good and pretty good, respectively. The label says it’s hopped with Citra, Mosaic, and Columbus, which I think is similar to the base version, possibly less the Columbus. However, as was the case with the DDH version, I’m not finding this to be a clear improvement over the base version. Heavier, yes, but that additional weight isn’t being put to good use in supporting a more emphatic hop note. It’s just… heavier. I like it, but not better than the base version. (15/20)
7.5/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze
