Strangely Drinkable: Greenhorn West Coast IPA

Strangely Drinkable: Greenhorn West Coast IPA Review

A West Coast brew with a touch of oats makes for an accessible ale that will be appreciated by those who normally fear the hop.

Today, after a modest hiatus, Beer Me BC is back to pass judgment on a beer that hails from Yeast Vancouver’s well known Strange Fellows Brewing Company. Let’s dive into their characteristically offbeat contribution to BC’s West Coast IPA roster.

Upon receiving this submission, we were somewhat surprised to see oats included as a listed ingredient; that is an unexpected part of the grain bill we would typically associate with East Coast hazy ales.

On the pour, this clear golden ale delivers a nice fluffy head, although it recedes fairly quickly.

On the nose, there is a slightly peppery/alcoholic vinous note, reminiscent of white wine.

Citrusy yet at the same time somewhat floral, the hop profile is satisfying without being distracting.  At the finish, the beer delivers a lingering grapefruit note on the palate.

Being that this is an IPA, tasting the malt requires mentally filtering out the hoppiness and ‘feeling’ what the underlying malt base would be like on its own. We got the impression that this brew featured a juicier, more biscuity malt than one would expect, and it went a long way towards making this a more balanced, less overwhelmingly hoppy ale.

Thanks no doubt to the addition of oats, this brew has a touch more silky mouthfeel than most of its West Coast compatriots.

The overall experience for non IPA drinkers is less “hoppy bitter” and more Hoppy Happy. You don’t have to be a hophead to crush this eminently strange West Coast IPA.