Frequency Hopper IPA

 

          When researching my reviews, I like to visit the brewery’s website and read their story. Most breweries, like Theoretically Brewing, have the same basic story. Two friends get together with a love for home brewing. After growing their home brewery beyond the capacity of their own kitchen, the next step is often to open a brewery. In 2015 Kris Fischer and Kelti Baird opened what would be Lethbridge’s first microbrewery in December, 2015.

Since the turn of the century, a new element has come into the origin story of many craft breweries. That new element comes in the form of environmental sustainability. Instead of sending spent grain to the landfill for example, Theoretically brewing has found a couple ways to keep grain from going to waste there. One option is to send their spent grain to local farmers where it can be used as cattle feed. Another option is to send grain to Lethbridge bio/gas where it gets converted to methane gas.

Owners of Theoretically Brewing report that none of their grain has gone to the landfill with nearly 30,000 kg of grain being recycled. Frequency Hopper pours into my glass medium amber in color with rusty highlights. Overall, looking like peach jam in a glass. The head is dense, tightly packed, and cream colored.

          Frequency Hopper’s aroma is up front malt and hops. Malt is a combination of fresh baked bread and caramel. Maltiness leads into a center that is mostly ripe, juicy American hops. There’s also an herbaceous, leafy quality that seems slightly out of place. It’s not entirely unpleasant, it just doesn’t add anything to the proceedings, as it were. The finish at least has a slightly piney hop aroma to it.

          Taking a sip, Frequency Hopper is medium bodied and smooth. There’s something going on with the flavor I’m not sure what to make of, though. Frequency Hopper has an up front juiciness that reminds me of some sort of tropical fruit punch. Subtle, not overpowering at all, but present nonetheless. Unfortunately, I don’t taste any significant malt profile. Too bad, because some malt might add structure and depth to the beer’s overall juiciness. Instead, the flavor profile just moves into a hoppy finish that’s not much more than more pacific northwest hops.

          Overall, I’m giving Frequency Hopper a 6.25 out of 10. The flavor profile just doesn’t have any depth to it. Also, I’m not sure what to make of the leafy quality I found in the nose. It’s almost as though Theoretically Brewing wanted to put their own spin on the American IPA but didn’t approach that spin with any coherent plan of attack. It’s too bad, because for my money the whole beer suffered for it.