Fiddlehead Brewing Second Fiddle Double India Pale Ale

Posted by: Marc Hanes

Fiddlehead Brewing Second Fiddle Double India Pale Ale - 01-13-2019 08:39:30

Fiddlehead Brewing Co.
Second Fiddle Double India Pale Ale
American Double/Imperial IPA
Vermont
8.2%
16oz, 4-Pack
$15.99
Modest finger deep head, just off-white, even surface, few dimples, retention is good for what's there initially, lacing starts out as wide sheets eventually breaking into thinner streaks. Soft gauziness to the liquid but nowhere near filmy or cloudy, bright golden color, noticeably dispersed tiny bubbles, like gentle snowflakes just, err, going up. Honeyed nose, tangerine to pink grapefruit and lime, citrus a major component, fresh unbaked pie crust, pine sap, coal tar, starts heading in a dank direction and suddenly stops, this allows the pineapple, apricot, green melon scents to spread some, not fully tropical in nature. Full-bodied, dry mouth entry, almost scrubbing in feel, the carbonation active with more prickle than creaminess. The breadiness more toasty and here the tarriness sinks in deeper. White pepper and a light salinity take the sappy goodness out of the pine notes. Somehow the pink grapefruit, tangerine citrus gets pushed back to past the mid-palate, the carbonation churns it away. Papaya, pineapple, green apple to nectarine fruit, here it's just the dryness which has it come off as not that tropical. Overall, there's a lot going on and it never loses your attention. That said, could wish for more smooth integration.
4 out of 5