The last decade has seen a boom in brewing in the Twin Cities. Among the bevy of new brewers who have emerged on the scene recently is the Fulton Brewery. It takes its name from the Minneapolis neighborhood where it began and like many craft breweries, there is an interesting story behind its founding.
For a while, Fulton beers were only available on tap in local bars. Now, they're also appearing in liquor store in twelve ounce bottles and growlers will be available for sale at the brewery in just a few weeks. Our featured beer is Fulton's Sweet Child of Vine:
Move over grapes. We’re celebrating the world’s most glorious vine.Generous quantities of Simcoe and Glacier hops are added throughout the boil. Then, late in fermentation, we infuse the Sweet Child with another dose of Glaciers, imparting a bouquet of hop aroma that veritably bursts forth upon serving. But don’t let all this talk of hops mislead you. The Sweet Child has a serious malt backbone to stand up to all those hops, creating a delightful balance that will keep you coming back for more. It’s an IPA, Fulton-style.
12oz brown bottle. Well designed two-tone green label with stylish Fulton logo and silhouette of namesake neighborhood in background.
STYLE: IPA
Alcohol by Volume: 6.4%
COLOR (0-2): Amber gold, mostly clear. 2
AROMA (0-2): Toasted malt and some hops, but a bit light. 1
HEAD (0-2): Off-white color, decent volume, and good lacing. 2
TASTE (0-5): Good flavor combination with sweet malts followed by floral hops. Not especially bitter with more balance than you usually find in an IPA. Smooth mouthfeel and quite drinkable. Lighter to medium bodied and well carbonated. 3
AFTERTASTE (0-2): Dry, mildly bitter finish. 2
OVERALL (0-6): Definitely not your typical American craft IPA, Fulton's Sweet Child of Vine is more balanced toward the sweeter, maltier side as English IPAs tend to be. You're not going find the heavy hops or bitter citrusy flavors that other IPAs bring. But it's a pleasurable beer to quaff and one that goes down quite easy while still giving your taste buds something to savor. 4
TOTAL SCORE (0-19): 14
