Belt’s Beer Garden: My Precious...

Sitting on the northernmost part of Phoenix, Arizona is Front Pourch Brewing. Established in 2018, Front Pourch offers a slew of beer styles and compliments each brew with a great name, usually a pun or pop culture reference.

For Example, the beer I have today is called Sneaky Little Hoppitses, something any fan of Lord of the Rings will recognize.

Sneaky Little Hoppitses is a hazy IPA brewed with Idaho Gem, Sabro, and Simcoe hops that should give off huge notes of tropical and citrus fruit. Four 16-ounce cans cost $18, with each pint having a very solid 7.7% ABV.

This New England IPA poured a dirty straw color with about a finger and a half of eggshell white head appearing. It quickly fizzled down, leaving some light lacing around the glassware and a thin covering across the top of the beer.

The brew was insanely dank and tropical. Notes of pineapple, tangerine, grapefruit, and lemon led the way. There was also a light flaked grain backing and some grassy undertones sitting behind the citrus. The aroma also had a slightly sticky, slightly resinous characteristic but was very inviting.

My first sip starts off on the creamier side with very little carbonation. As is known to happen with some hazies, the brew seems to expand, creating a thicker, softer mouthfeel.

Slowly crawling up from that creamy beginning are those tropical hop flavors. However, while the pineapple leads in the aroma, it’s a big juicy burst of tangerine and grapefruit that leads the taste. The pineapple, and some light lemon, join in after a few moments and create a very crushable blend of tropical fruit flavors.

Following up the citrus is a light dankness and a very light earthiness, which is mostly some resinous grass. There is a tingle of hoppy bitterness that also appears but is quickly washed away from all the other flavors.

The flaked grains that liked to peek out in the smell were almost completely hidden in the flavor. There was no cereal quality…no breadiness or caramel flavors. Rather, the grist stayed in the background and let the hops shine with all their goodness. They added a bit of sweetness but just accentuate the juicy qualities rather than taking control.

Sneaky Little Hoppitses ends very cleanly with a tiny grapefruit rind flavor and a very, very light grassy note. It made drinking this brew insanely easy…even with the nearly 8% ABV.

Front Pourch not only has great names for their brews (like Jucius Malfoy, Steve Mash, and Not So Especial) but the beers are amazing too!! It’s a win-win.

Between the cozy and inviting taproom and the delicious beers, it is a must stop if you’re in the Phoenix area.