It's been a while since I've had a Double IPA/Imperial IPA.. they're not too common in Manitoba now days as the demand in IPAs has moved towards juicy New England IPAs and creamy Milkshake IPAs. I've loved Imperial/Double IPAs for a long time, ever since I first tried Half Pints' Humulus Ludicrous back in 2009 or so.
Folding Mountain Brewing opened up in Jasper East, Alberta around this time last year. I'm not familiar with their beers but from knowing their co-owner Aric through Twitter for the better part of a decade now thanks to another Twitter friend, I'm excited to try their beer.
Ridge Line IIPA is their take on an West Coast Imperial IPA has a medley of Columbus, Mosaic and citrus hops and tops out at 9.5% ABV.
Appearance: Ridge Line pours a somewhat clear/somewhat cloudy caramel honey with a light amount of carbonation and a good deal of beige head on top. Once the beer is being savoured, the foam is really liking to stick to the glassware, leaving a hefty amount of lacing.
Aroma: Definitely boozy and malt forward but solid hop presence in it. There's notes of caramel, pine, alfalfa, tropical notes (pineapple, lemon), and a bit of grassiness to it. Going back to the booziness, it kind of reminds me of Brandy, it's sweet, yet intoxicating even for the nose.
Taste: I'm just getting to the tasting profile now and I've already sampled about 5oz already.. Like the aroma, the IIPA is sweet with a rich caramel profile up front with a hefty hop presence to it. There's notes of pine, tangerines, pineapple, lemon, a hint of a spice profile that reminds me a hint of oregano. This IIPA isn't as boozy to the tastebuds compared to the aroma.. but the hefty 9.5% ABV is really creeping up on me. As I continue to sip on this beer, it warms up a bit and the bitterness of pine pops out more and more, but the tropical and spice notes are definitely still present.
Overall Thoughts: The hop bitterness mixed with the maltiness of the beer is exactly what I expect in a typical West Coast-style IIPA with a bit of more New World hops with the presence of Citra to give it a bit of a tropical zest in there. I suggest sharing this because at 9.5% per 650mL bottle, it's going to give off a buzz.. but I'm at the farm right now, so I don't think my parents will enjoy an Imperial IPA, let alone a regular IPA.
http://foldingmountain.com
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