Sly Fox First Gold IPA

Formerly brewed at Sly Fox Brewhouse
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Royersford and Phoenixville, Pennsylvania USA

Date: 07/25/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub, Phoenixville

clear gold, fine beige head, bits of lace, light floral hop aroma, sweet crystal malt flavor, light balancing hops, nice bitterness starts halfway through for a long earthy finish, this nice bitterness is the best thing going for this beer

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

On tap at the Phoenixville location. Poured an amber color with an off white head. Aromas of floral hops with some pine. Tastes floral hops, pine, and had a light spiciness in the finish.

Tap at Ginger Man. Bright amber/orange colour with a thick fluffy tan head. Very fruity hop aroma with black currant, black berry and a soft woody resinousness. Jammy with light spiciness as well. Flavour is very hoppy with just enough malt sweetness to restrain it. Toasted grain and sweet caramel on the back set against strong resinous bitterness. Nice balance and another solid single hop brew. This hop is particularly nice.

Draft. Deep copper pour with aroma of heavy hops, caramel malt, citrus, some peppery and fruit notes. I’d agree that there is a solid caramel malt and hoppy/citric flavor here, but it seems to be a tiny bit more run-of-the-mill flavor-wise than the other styles.

Tap @ Sly Fox. The beer was clear orange with an off-white head. The aroma was hoppy some citrus notes but mainly floral. There was also toasted malt with a mild fruitiness. The flavor was dominated with floral hops. The bitterness was big full and kept growing through the very long dry finish.

On tap at Royersford. Pours a lightly hazy golden amber with a medium size creamy/lacing head. Aroma was floral, caramel, mixed citrus and some earthiness. Flavor was very earthy with some pine, grapefruit and on the yeasty side. Getting some caramel malt in there to balance.

Draught at Phoenixville: Aroma was somewhat faint. Hoppy with notes of resin. Poured amber in color with a medium off-white head. Clear. Not sparkling. Flavor was heavily bitter. Tastes of grapefruit, strawberry, and caramel malts. A little earthy. Medium body. Dry texture. Average carbonation. Dry finish. Overall, nice and bitter, but lacking a little flavor.

On tap at Ginger Man. Very dark red pour. No head. Muddy hop aroma, kind of earthy, orange and mushroom. Caramel and bitter hop taste. Pumello and very dry citrus. An interesting hop, kind of a cross between British and American.