Foothills Frostbite Black IPA
I’m not the biggest fan of black IPAs, but I have found a few in recent years that marry roast malt with hop flavors quite well. It was with those memories intact that I picked up this particular bottle. The label on Foothills Frostbite, a 6.2% ABV example of the style, states that I should expect a flavor that is “refreshingly bracing.” And yet, that’s not what I ended up experiencing. In fact, for all that this dark IPA has to offer, the hop bite isn’t the exciting part.
Frostbite is actually one of the more smooth and well balanced examples of a black IPA that I’ve had in some time. I couldn’t find a “born on” or “best by” date on the bottle so I don’t know if the bitterness that was present when the beer was first packaged had faded any, but it didn’t taste old in any way. As with many beers of this ilk, I was expecting something a bit more uneven — too much roast, not enough hops, you get the picture. Instead, Foothills have managed to get everything weighted just about right with their product.
Forstbite isn’t going to make the black IPA my go too beer by any means, but it has provided me with a solid option if the mood for a roasty, hoppy brew should ever arise in the future. I was thoroughly impressed with the beer’s even nature and smoothness. It will more than likely make another appearance in the fridge next Winter providing it’s still around then.