Happy Spring folks! We’re officially out of Winter, at least as far as the calendar is concerned. The rain and cold may continue, but I wanted to reach for something bright and vibrant in hops of encouraging the weather to do the same.
Hopworks in Portland is going through a slight rebrand, their 16 oz Lager is now being packaged in 12 oz Pilsner cans. They also just released a new full time Wave Train Amber ale in 12 oz cans, as well as this new seasonal IPA in 16 oz cans that will replace their Abominable Winter IPA.
Ferocious IPA is a 6.2% | 40 IBU American IPA fermented with grapefruit juice, and brewed with hard red spring wheat from Twin Oaks Farm on San Juan Island to impart some slight haze and a medium-full texture and body to the beer. The hops are not disclosed other than “Organic NW Hops”, but the notes found are very reminiscent of classic “C” hops. Let’s open up this bright new can and see what it is all about.
Beer — Ferocious Citrus IPA | American IPA
Brewery — Hopeworks Urban Brewery (HUB) | Greater Portland, OR
ABV | IBU — 6.2% | 40
Price | Size — $2.69 | 16 oz @ Elizabeth Station
Availability — Limited | Seasonal (March — September)
Appearance (3 | 3) — Pours with a slight haze to it, they are claiming this is a “hazy and crazy IPA with grapefruit juice.” I can see where they are going, but I wouldn’t consider this one to be super hazy or opaque, it still is a quite pleasant looking beer. Bright orange in hue with a start white head on top, lacing left behind is consistent.
Aroma (7 | 10) — Lots of bright juicy citrus, fresh squeezed lemons, and of course grapefruit. There is however quite a lot of hop, some grassy and earthy bitterness reminiscent of pine comes through to balance the fruitiness. Some subtle malt sweetness as well.
Flavor (16 | 20) — Loads of authentic, bright, tangy grapefruit character, no real sweetness or otherwise artificial notes. A balancing hop character and lingering earthy bitterness leave no doubt that this is still an IPA and not a juice box.
Mouthfeel (4 | 5) — A clean and crisp finish with a fruity and lingering aftertaste leaves you wanting to come back for more, excellent drinkability.
Overall (7 | 10) — A nicely done fruited IPA, I am a fan of how authentic the grapefruit character comes through and how balanced it is with the bitter hop character. This beer will suit your fancy if you are a fan of grapefruit, or even if you’re just a fan of a refreshing and well made IPA, cheers!
