Phantom Beer Co. White Space – White IPA at 7.5% ABV | 20 IBU (C$4.81 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 25-Mar-2021, acquired 10-Jun-2021, reviewed 10-Jun-2021)
Appearance: hazy pale gold with two fingers of creamy pale ivory head, good retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stewed fruit, Belgian esters, wheat, floral, vegetal, pine. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration lightly warming finish. (4/5)
The brewer notes call this “a full-bodied blend of a hazy and a white IPA”, “brewed with the Barbe Rouge hop, full of strawberry, cherry and other red fruit characters.” Well… no. At least, not entirely. I’d like it to be, but it really isn’t. Mind you, I’ve had that hop only one other time that I know of, and didn’t get a lot of that promised character then, either. Whether this is another case of a hop that overpromises and underdelivers (yes, I’m looking at you, Lemondrop and Mandarina) or whether I’m just not sophisticated enough to appreciate it (I got called a “vulgar man” this week, only partly in jest) I leave as an exercise for the reader. As an AIPA, this is a bit of a failure, and it’s only somewhat better as a White IPA. It tastes a bit better than it smells, and doesn’t really have any negatives, so the score reflects that. I haven’t had a great deal of experience with this brewery (n=6), but this is definitely not one of their better offerings (μ=7.4 & σ=0.38). (14/20)
7/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze
