I am lucky to live in a burgeoning hotbed of craft brewers in Waterloo Region (Ontario). In particular, Cambridge, Ontario has had a seemingly endless supply of very high quality breweries pop up. Four Fathers Brewing Co. is one such brewery.
Founded in 2009 by four fathers (aha, not just a clever name!), the brewery experienced steady growth, which has recently become exponential, with the acquisition of a much larger space, and the recent opening of their retail store and taproom.
I have not yet had the chance to make it to the new taproom, but I have heard nothing but positive feedback from anyone who has. Four Fathers has developed a loyal following through the development of a solid lineup of high quality craft brews.
Much like Hamilton brewer, Collective Arts (whom I recently reviewed here), Four Fathers has created a signature series of limited run IPAs, dubbed the “IV” series. Starting with #001, they clearly have ambitions of releasing many of these brews.
Typically, these types of releases serve to highlight a particular hop or blend of hops. In this case, Four Fathers has taken an international “kitchen sink” approach, throwing in large amounts of sample hops from America, France, Germany, United Kingdom, and New Zealand.
Unusual, to be certain. Delicious, as I experienced.
With a surprisingly strong balance of maltiness to offset a potentially overwhelming array of hops, the end result is surprisingly delightful.
The style was more in the West Coast mould, rather than the hazy, juicy New England (NE) IPAs that have dominated this summer. The pour was only slightly hazy with a dense head. The colour was a medium straw, reflective of the pilsner malt.
The flavour was was crisp, fresh, with a slightly lingering bitterness. The hoppy aftertaste was relatively slight, making this a particularly crushable concoction. The balance is such that it will satisfy hop-heads while not offending the slightly hop-averse.
While it certainly does not have the juicy qualities of the NE IPAs, I definitely detected relatively strong notes of pineapple juice and tangy fruit.
There was a slight herbal quality, but I did not detect the “Smuckers raspberry jam” notes suggested by the brewery in the tasting notes.
Overall, this was a perfect late-lunch beer for me after a long day in court. While crushable, proceed with caution, because it does not taste of the 6.7% ABV. I look forward to continuing to enjoy future entries in the IV IPA series!
- ABV: 6.7%
- IBU: N/A
- Style: IPA
- Taste: Crisply hoppy
- Rating: 4.4/5.0
- Untappd Reviews
Ryan Heighton
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