There I was, gleefully hacking through the Xmas 2008 Beer Blog Yule and Assorted Holiday Photo Contest and Snowballing Spree, culling the herd from 524 pictures to a select 132 or so, needing a little something. Thirsty work so I popped a 500 ml 6.5% New Brunswicker IPA from Freddie's Beach. I had no idea what to expect. There are very few things a Nova Scotian like me can imagine coming out of New Brunswick that I might, you know, ingest. Sure it's my inter-Maritimal prejudice speaking but you got to be what youse is, right?
But there are present surprises in life and this is one of them. It pours a light orange amber with a frothy white foam. On the nose, plenty of bright herbal citrus - including tangerine and lemon. None of that heavy orange marmalade you often get. In the mouth, more tangerine and lemony citrus but mainly white grapefruit with some decent rougher bittering hops that cuts completely though the good grainy pale malt profile. Plenty of body. Solid without being stodgy. Sweetish, moreish and a bit deceptive for its strength. And honest brewer, too, as the label says "this beer may change slightly from batch to batch as we explore the various interpretations of the style." Yip. Eee.
I like. This would go very well with a spicy curry. One lonely BA give an honest opinion.