Foothills Brewing - Frostbite Black IPA

Perhaps because "Black India Pale Ale" is, admittedly, a contradiction in terms, the style is also known by several other names including American Black Ale, Cascadian Dark Ale, India Dark Ale, etc. We still gravitate towards Black IPA because, well... that's just what we've always called it. The folks at Foothills apparently feel the same way. On the pour, this brew presents a deep, dark brown color with a robust head of light brown foam. On the nose, we picked up lots of expressive malt character; look for toasty notes, deep caramel, a hint of wood smoke, notes of pine and light citrus zest, and perhaps even a ghostly wisp of licorice. The toasty notes in the aroma come through a bit more roasty on the palate, an impression augmented by the big 77 IBUs. Caramel character comes through nicely, as well, bringing with it a touch of residual sweetness to provide balance to the darker malts and the bitterness of the hops, which also offer a big dose of citrus zest and resinous pine. Food pairing options abound. Try shredded braised beef tacos, sweet and/or spicy barbecue, grilled meats, chocolaty desserts, or a snack of aged cheeses. Cheers!

Foothills Brewing opened for business in 2005 with a brewpub/restaurant location on Fourth Street in downtown Winston-Salem, NC. At first, co-owner Jamie Bartholomaus was pretty much alone in the brewhouse, crafting Foothills’ beers from homebrew recipes he had developed while attending the University of Georgia in Athens. These days he’s got a bit more help; strong growth since those early days means Foothills now has about 15 employees just on the brewing side of their business alone.

Bartholomaus got his start in the beer world as a homebrewer, which eventually led to him working for Athens, GA’s now defunct Blind Man Ales. After relocating to North Carolina, he did a stint with the respected Olde Hickory Brewery before jumping into business for himself with Foothills. Since then, business has grown steadily, although the last several years have been quite dramatic. After maxing out their brewpub system, Foothills acquired a new, larger, 48,000 sq. ft. facility a few miles to the southwest, which they put into production at the end of 2011, a year which saw a 46% increase in production compared to the year prior.

In 2011, Foothills also acquired the brewing division of Carolina Beer & Beverage, including their Carolina Blonde and Cottonwood Ales brands and all their brewing equipment. This gave Foothills a critical upgrade: the ability to bottle their beers and package them for retail sales instead of relying solely on draft accounts. It also means more people are now getting a chance to try their excellent brews!

For more info on the brewery, their brewpub restaurant, or their eight year-round, seven seasonal, and miscellaneous limited-release beers (including their legendary Sexual Chocolate imperial stout, released annually for Valentine’s Day in very limited amounts) visit www.foothillsbrewing.com or call 336-997-9484.