So the other weekend I found myself up in Columbus for a graduation party. As I am wont to do when I travel, I took the opportunity to grab a handful of beers that I can't get at home. We have one of those beers today. Firebrand, a Belgian style IPA from Cleveland's Indigo Imp Brewing. And how great is that label with that Mike Mignola-esque little demon? I checked around online just to double check that Indigo Imp's logo wasn't actually drawn by Mignola himself. It's clear that the artist responsible is a big fan. The use of shadow, the harsh, stark, angular linework, the deceptive simplicity. Beautiful stuff. If you dig the art on this label you will undoubtedly enjoy the art of Mike Mignola, one of my all time favorite comic book artists. He's the guy that created Hellboy. Hellboy, and it's sister book B.P.R.D are some of the best comics you'll ever read. Seriously, go check them out. Enough comics talk. To the beer!
Firebrand pours a hazy reddish, pinkish, amber in color. It's topped by a thin layer of white head that recedes fairly quickly and doesn't leave any lacing.
The aromas on this beer are pretty tremendous. A very interesting fruity complexity erupt out of the top of this tulip glass. Citrusy aromas of grapefruit, orange, and tangerine mingle with sweet notes of red delicious apple, strawberry, and raspberry. Very sweet, very floral, with a light crackery malt. That fruitiness is exceptional though, complex and incredibly enticing.
Firebrand is fairly light in body. A mild bitter punch, a bit of crackery/ caramel malt, and some citrusy hop flavors lead the way. Just like on the aromas, the heart of this beer is a complex fruitiness. Flavors of lemon, apple, grapefruit and some mild funky Belgian esters. The bitterness was quite strong at first sip but mellows considerably as the beer warms.
I really liked this one. Flavorful and quite complex all while maintaining a friendly sort of approachability. And man oh man, those aromas. Check this one out.
Happy Memorial Day, folks. My sincerest and most heartfelt thanks to those brave men and women who gave their last measure of courage in defense of this county.
HD
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