Here’s another little treat I got courtesy of Jefferson Evans…and Chuck Triplett! I got a can from each recently when good old Jeff visited for a few days. The beer? Fair Winds Howling Gale IPA, a veteran owned brewery in Lorton, Virginia. This is also my first beer ever from the Fairwinds brewery.
Fair Winds is a relative newcomer on the explosive Virginia beer scene (now over 200 breweries). They opened their doors in March of 2015 with a small 30-barrel brewhouse. Howling Gale is their flagship IPA and is a year-round offering.
From the label:
NAUTICAL FACT The Beaufort Scale measures windspeed over the ocean. This beer is a ‘10’ on the Beaufort Scale.
From the website:
West-Coast style IPA
Massive kettle additions and a double dry-hop process with Simcoe, Mosaic and Citra hops bring this brew to an explosion of tropical and citrus aromas and flavors.
Fair Winds Howling Gale IPA has al alcohol content of 7.2% by volume with 80 IBUs. It runs $11.99 a six-pack at Total Wine in Virginia, which seems a few dollars higher than it should be.
Fair Winds Howling Gale IPA pours to a bright orange color with a thick creamy head and a zesty citrus and resin nose. Taking a sip, the beer has a firm caramel maltiness followed by grapefruit peel and piney resin leading into a long, very dry, very bitter finish.
This is how IPA should be! I didn’t get the tropical notes Mosaics are famous for as the resin and citrus from the Simcoes and Citras seemed to drown that out. That’s fine with me, though, as I prefer the latter two properties to the former anyway. Fair Winds Howling Gale IPA is quite the tasty IPA. I’ll be on the lookout for it in my travels, and anything else this brewery offers.
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, canned
(D)=Draft