Feral Brewing ‘Fanta Pants’ Red IPA

Rating:

17457754_663797160471099_3394801053564317841_n“Fantapants appears sweet at first but when prodded, prepare for a bitter onslaught as the big red proudly shows off its passionfruit, pineapple & citrus aromas whilst the bold caramel body and strong malty roots ensures this beer will not quietly recess into the night.”

Served in an IPA glass. It pours an attractive crimson red with a modest thumb of khaki foam that holds together well, only peeling off a smidge before settling to a fine overlay. It sheds nice lace work as it ebbs.
Going off the first whiff we’re certain this is going to be a cracker of a beer. The integral part to the aroma is the incredible balance struck between the ultra sticky and sweet caramel malts and the juicy tropical fruity hops. It’s like an explosion of caramel, marmalade, toffee, mango, papaya, lychee, pineapple and grapefruit is set off in the glass. Superb! This is why we love craft beer.
The texture is creamy and on the fuller side of medium. Flashes of the 7.5% ABV are discernible as the 53 IBU is assertive but tempered by the soothing malts.
The flavour maintains the incredible balance with this delicious caramelized malt structure beneath a concoction of cocktail fruits like mango, lychee, pineapple, grapefruit and passion fruit. It begins to show its true IPA traits as the warming booze and assertive bitterness ties it all up and finishes with a dry sweetness on a length.
Feral are right on the money with this offering. Tell you what, the red IPA category in Australia has long been owned by M.O’s former tenant but this brew pub series limited release from Feral would surely be a contender for the title. Top notch stuff.