Regular readers of this blog will have no doubt noted that my recent purchases of beer centre around 3 letters: I, P and A. This current journey happened to coincide with a new release from Burleigh Brewing Co. - a local(ish)-to-me brewery that has a 'Bit On The Side' department which release limited edition brews every once in a while.
Following on from Fanny Gertrude's Bickie Beer and Black Giraffe, their latest bit on the side is called FIGJAM IPA...
It was only released a few weeks ago and I was lucky enough to lay my hands on some last week for consumption over the course of my birthday weekend (weekend just gone) and what a lovely gift to myself it was...a real treat indeed...
The review:
I have absolutely no hesitation in slapping 4 stars on this one. FIGJAM is a wonderful IPA!
Presented in the familiar but special 'Bit On The Side Dept' 650ml screen-printed bottle, it pours a light golden colour with a solid white head followed by a good 20 seconds worth of subsequent fine effervescence.
Huge whiffs of fruit hit me. Nothing to put me off - more inviting than anything.
Upon taking the first mouthful of a new beer, I always try and have a clean palate. Often achieved by glugging a few mouthfuls of water. This usually prepares me for whatever the pending liquid gold has to offer.
The first mouthful of FIGJAM surprised me. It was nowhere near as heavy as I was expecting. It was surprisingly light which makes this IPA very drinkable and thirst quenching unlike many IPA's that have previously made their way past my hop-loving tongue.
I've enjoyed a few big, in-your-face hop explosion types of beers lately. This isn't one of them making this 7.0% abv drop a very sessionable brew ahead of what's promised to be a very warm Queensland summer.
My advice? Stock up on this quickly before limited edition cartons deplete!
San Diego based Karl Strauss Brewing Company came to fruition after one of their co-founders, Chris Cramer, was inspired by a pub that he'd visited whilst travelling through this beautiful Antipodean country that I now call home. You can read all about the birth of the brewery and its early years here - well worth a read. A true success story if ever there was one.
I'd stumbled upon a Karl Strauss beer called Red Trolley Ale back in May of this year. It was labelled as a 'red ale'. Previous purchases of beers calling themselves red ales hadn't really set my heart quivering although Ranga Premium Red Ale by Ranga Brewing Co wasn't too bad. Tempted by the impressiveness of other US imports this year, I couldn't help myself and picked up a 6pack. It was good although it didn't make me dash back to the shop to buy more but it did enough to plant the Karl Strauss seed in my mind...
I'm riding an IPA wave at the moment and at the first sight of a Karl Strauss IPA, I immediately grabbed some and they went straight into my shopping basket. Just in case you are picturing the scene, I should confess that I was not wandering around the shops with a little wicker basket ala Little Red Riding Hood.
The review:
A classy, hoppy offering this one. Not overpowering like some IPA's can be and nowhere near off-putting either. At 7% abv, this is very easy to drink - there is no full-on alcohol kick.
I particularly enjoyed the light citrussy air to it. The Chinook hops are the reason behind the noticeable grapefruit tones. However, this drop is by no means a fruity number that many beer drinkers like to avoid. It contains minimal fruity characters.
The other noticeable element is the use of caramel malts. The malty after-taste lingers long.
It pours a delightful golden/amber colour with a solid head (see photo above - click for larger view). Carbonation is medium.
I had absolutely no hesitation in opening a second soon after the first. Go get some. No rush. Just make sure you try it some time.
