Shipyard Brewing Company Fuggles IPA

The third beer in our International #IPADay 6-Pack comes from Portland, ME and the Shipyard Brewing Company. Their Fuggles IPA is one of the more interesting India Pale Ales I've had the privilege of trying.

The first thing I noticed after I had cracked this brew open was its aroma. It smelled somewhat citrus but I was unable to place exactly where it came from. It was a welcoming smell that had vague hints of orange taking a back seat to a strong floral. I had to research what caused this unique aroma only to discover that Fuggles is brewed with apples and plum.

The smell however did not translate over into the taste. I think the two fruits went together well enough were all you tasted was something slightly fruity and sweet as a secondary compliment to the hops. What was most interesting about the taste however was that Fuggles IPA is only single hopped. Where most IPA's go through two separate stages of hopping, Shipyard elected to fore go the dry hopping process after fermentation.

The result of less hopping definitely showed up in the taste of the beer causing every drink to seem half empty. Most IPA's I've tasted fully engage your taste buds. Fuggles however, seemed to deliver the traditional IPA flavor to targeted areas of your palate only. If I was forced to take a blind taste test I know beyond a matter of doubt I could identify it as an IPA, but to be perfectly honest, I was kind of put off by my first single-hopped experience.

The main reason I love IPA's is the truly hearty taste that completely engulfs your taste buds. While I was able enjoy the flavor, I wasn't able to fully enjoy the taste I expect out of an India Pale Ale. It was almost like drinking a hybrid beer. The IPA flavor quickly dissipated to a crisp clean finish that you would expect out of a lager.

Although I would recommend other IPA's before I would tell someone to give this Shipyard brew a try, I won't condemn it either. In the end, it may just be my style preference that has difficulty fully supporting this IPA "Light."

Shipyard Brewing Company Fuggles IPA receives 6 mugs out of 10.