555 Brewing Co. “Footprint” IPA, Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada (7.2% Alcohol) Brewery Store $6.50 (500ml)
On a recent trip to Prince Edward County I happened upon the 555 Brewing Co. in Picton, and thought I’d try out a few of their brews as I was unfamiliar with the brewery, and I’m forever open to trying out new beers. I purchased a few of each of their range and tasted them over the following few days, and decided that this particular bottling was my favourite.
Despite having been won over by Sierra Nevada well over a decade ago, now I usually keep my distance from the majority of West Coast IPAs as over the years I have found myself less and less drawn towards that particularly striking hoppy character that is so prevalent in the category. Another factor is the fact that my wife really cannot abide the smell of said hops on my breath, and she swears that she can pick up on it seeping from my very pores both on the day/night and the morning after.
Marketed as an “old school West Coast IPA” the Footprint pours a cloudy orange in the glass with a bright white frothy head of foam. The aromatics present are wholly dominated by pine and citrus fruits (lemon/lime/grapefruit). There’s also a welcome whiff of malt that balances out any real aggression from the hop profile. In the mouth there is a sweet maltiness that sits perfectly with the higher alcohol, bringing a satisfying balance to the brew alongside those distinctive North American hops flavours. The finish brings a pleasant combination of bitterness and sweetness together on the very back of the palate. A most enjoyable beer, but a word of warning… they do go down very easily, even at 7.2%.
And on another note, the people at the brewery seemed super friendly, even slipping me an extra bottle of their new Weissbier! I’ll be back, that is for sure.
(Four apples out of a possible five)
Edinburgh-born/Toronto-based Sommelier, consultant, and writer Jamie Drummond is the Director of Programs/Editor of Good Food Revolution… And he really enjoyed that, which is interesting as WC IPAs are not usually his thing.
