A while back I enjoyed a bottle of Samuel Adams Double Agent IPL, and I mused in the opening in a way I’m so fond of I’m going to use it again for Ballast Point Fathom IPL. Here we go:
Being a fan of history, I’m also a fan of alternate history. What is alternate history, you ask? It’s a branch of science fiction that posits a change at a point in history, then explores the different path down which events might have traveled as a result of that change. Tonight, for our little flight of alternate history fantasy, we’re going to pretend that the English never colonized India. Instead, India became a German protectorate way back in the 19th century.
The
answer, of course, is IPL, or India Pale Lager. Of course, had the Germans
colonized earlier they might well have fortified their pilsners with a
higher gravity and more hops, just as the British did with their pale ales,
to survive the long sea voyage. They would have used German hops of course,
but those are not all that dissimilar to English hops. They are, though,
much different from American ones.
So far, the “India Pale Lagers” I have come across are really no more than lagered American IPAs, not really India Pale Lagers. Still, I enjoy them hedonistically, and Ballast Point Fathom IPL is a tasty one indeed.
From the label:
Our Fathom India Pale Lager combines time-honored lagering techniques with the hop profiles of a West Coast IPA recipe. The cold-fermenting lager yeast provides a clean base that allows the citrus and pine aromas from the hops to really shine. The result is a gold medal beer with a refreshing, easy drinking character and just the right amount of depth.
Ballast Point Fathom IPL has an alcohol content of 7% by volume and 70 IBUs. It’s a super bargain at $4.49 for a bomber bottle, too. Stylistically, I think these beers have come into their own, and I would class them in a style all their own. While the Sam Adams beer I mentioned above really doesn’t have the gravity to be an IPL (I think it’s more an amber lager with IPA hops), Ballast Point Fathom IPL is deserving of the IPL moniker.
Ballast Point Fathom IPL pours to a bright orange color with a thick rocky head formation (and layer of Brussels lace) and a soft citrus fruity American hop nose. Taking a sip, the beer has some clean maltiness up front, caramel malt really which does not seem all that lager like to me. It’s even a little chewy really, and then leads into the resiny pine of the hops with bright citrusy notes. In the finish, those hops become long and bitter and dry the beer nicely. The beer is clean of fruity esters, which are not the same as the citrus notes from the hops, just like a good lager should be. The caramel malt does not say lager, this one still seems more like IPA, but a great beer hedonistically. 4.5 stars, with an extra half star for the price/value.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft