Laughing Fox

I had never seen this Laughing Fox beer, and was certainly curious to try it. Special thanks to Justen Parris for giving me a bottle of this on Sunday following an IPA tasting event at his house. I enjoyed this Wednesday afternoon after working the morning at the brewery and spending the rest of my day working in the lab reviving some of the Pacific Ale yeast from my internship last spring. Weizen glass served.

Appearance: Glowing amber with a proud clarity, but nevertheless there is a faint haze (perhaps from wheat proteins). The head takes on a frothy off white texture sufficient to make reside as an 1" worth upon pour. Within carbonation is extremely prominent rising single filed from un-seen origins. Lacing silhouettes the glass in a wettened manner.

Aroma: Faint notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, while a clove character masks much of what could be confused as pumpkin spicing. Definitely banana is present, underwhelmed by subtle notes of bubblegum. Esters and yeasty phenols make up the dominant scents.
Taste: Begins with a bready malt backbone with a hint of toasted grains. What follows are notes of cinnamon and clove in complement with estery undertones. Mild malt citrus from the wheat is faint, but can be picked out. Approaching the end, the palate becomes well acquainted with a burst of banana phenols and bubblegum - obviously products of yeast in fermentation. The finish is smooth and festively spiced. As the beer warms, more esters become pronounced. Extremely clean finish with little left to the aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Extremely creamy and smooth. The beginning carbonation leads one to expect something overwhelming but the foam bubbles up immediately as it touches the tongue, carrying the beer down in a soft bubbly manner. From what I can tell prior to the carbonation, the body is of medium stature.
Overall Impression: Certainly a beer I've had little experience tasting. I thought one could reasonably confuse it with an oktoberfest with a big wheat bill, or even a pumpkin wheat. In any case, the clove banana and bubble gum where highly prominent. the rest is left to personal interpretation. Nevertheless it is surely a complex ale, while remaining drinkable and clean.


89/100