Fat Tug IPA

Fat Tug IPA comes all the way from Canada's left coast, where it's brewed in Victoria, British Columbia by Driftwood Brewery. I had a pint on tap on the patio of a swanky gastro pub during a trip to Vancouver. According to the Driftwood website, Fat Tug has a solid 7% alcohol and contains "80+ IBUs"--why not just say the actual number? Total pet peeve!

I found myself faced with a modestly hazy, brassy ale that showed up with a healthy cream-coloured head that faded quickly into a bubbly disc. Fat Tug's aroma drifts between citrusy and straight up bitter. It has a considerably sweet flavour for an India pale ale, with some peach and satsuma leanings and a very hoppy citrus finish.

This is a nice, approachably-flavoured I.P.A.--a good one for sloppy session drinking and for people interested in cutting their teeth in the Indaia pale ale genre.  I liked it, and you might too.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.