Want some beer with your foam? Don’t be like me.

The Specs: Coal Harbour Brewing Co. Powell IPA
6.5 per cent ABV, 650mL

An IPA is a bit of a dangerous choice for this blog. Though 2014 was my year of hop discovery, IPAs are generally right at the edge of what I consider an acceptable beverage. The mediocre ones taste grassy and soapy, and where other people allegedly find interest my palate registers a blast of bitterness and little, if anything else.

But, on the recommendation of a brewhound at Kamloops City Hall, I ventured forth.

I will admit a small bias right off the top. My 1950s fridge has a pretty heavy door and a couple of harder than average latchings over the course of the day did nothing good for this beer. No beverage has ever cascaded from a bottle with the force of this IPA.

On the plus side, while wiping off the floor I noted it smells quite nice. Bit of a fruity tang to it, which usually bodes well. The colour’s quite good too — a bit amber, great against the tiles.

Compared to a lot of IPAs which cross my path, Powell is quite mild. I was bracing for the shock and awe of hops, and it didn’t ever show up. There’s a characteristic bitterness to it, but it’s not overpowering (though you will notice more of it as the beer comes up to temperature). More in the fore are juicy flavours of grapefruit, maybe a tinge of apricot.

Oh, and as you may have guessed, I’m pretty sure it’s very carbonated, even without a good ice box smackaround. I don’t think I’ve ever had a beer continue foam up so much that many minutes after being opened.

Overall, this is a really great place to start if like me you’re trying to expand your horizons, or if you enjoy a certain amount of bitterness — but only so much. Or, if you really need an excuse to clean your floors on a Monday night.