Fremont Brewing Co. - "Instant Karma" India pale ale

Inspired by the jovial and super friendly Pacific Northwest beer culture, today's blog post will focus on a special release IPA from Fremont Brewing Co. This 6.50% ABV india pale ale is part of the Bottleshop Collaboration, a series of beers inspired by a group of eleven Seattle-area beer stores - including the great Edison City Alehouse in South Tacoma, WA (which is well worth the visit). This beer came to me through Edison City's proprietor, Robby. Thanks, dude!

The beer itself is a mixmaster blend of Citra, Mosaic, el Dorado, Huell Melon, and Chinook hops; it weighs in at a healthy 50 IBUs. The beer was released on June 30th, 2017, and like many West Coast fresh beers, are stated to be best within three months. I had this in early July, so definitely within the realm of freshness.

Not much foam, even when poured directly in. It sort of looks like pineapple juice, and generates a nice citrus nose.

As expected, this beer has pleasant citrus flavors and a tang of fruity hops. There's a peculiar little twinge of brassy bitterness towards the end, like a hint of grapefruit pulp, but mostly just citrus with a good showing of hoppy flavors. The aftertaste is pulpy, like orange juice. 

What's most interesting about this is the texture - I expected it to be thick and foamy, like a fresh orange juice (or like some of the aforementioned Treehouse beers) but it's almost the opposite - soft, light, thin, and a bit fizzy. The flavors aren't in-your-face strong but soft and (almost) attenuated. It's different than many beers of this type because it seems almost counter-intuitive...for fresh-hop, tropical IPAs I expect a fruit-forward and thick, juicy beer.

The good news is, while this beer is not anything earth-shattering or new, it's still a tasty fresh IPA and perhaps good for those who aren't total hop-lovers. It's also not overpowering or aggressive, so while some may think it's too thin, it may be perfect for those looking for a softer, fruity IPA.