Decadent Ales French Toast DIPA

The concept of a French Toast Double IPA sounds ridiculous. I drank it and I still can't believe it is a real thing. When I first came across a can, my initial thought was 'that's got to be gross'. A moment later after some quiet contemplation I thought to myself 'I have to try it.' So I picked up a single can and brought it home. For a week, I kept passing over this bizarre dessert ipa for other more traditional offerings in my refrigerator. Normally, I can't wait to try a new & interesting beer but I just could not find the right time to drink it. I knew this was the kind of beer that would require some contemplation time. I also knew I would have to write a blog about it. The worst case scenario here was I was out 5 bucks for the can and pouring it down the drain. The best case scenario, this beer would be one of the most unique things I had ever tried and I needed to run out and immediately buy more. While neither of these scenarios came to be, Decadent Ales French Toast was one of the most interesting & confusing beers I have had in a long time.

I admit I had not heard of Decadent Ales up until now. After looking over their modest website I realized that doing unique dessert-style beers is what they do. Then again, that should have been obvious to me by the name of their brewery. Even still, I do not think I was prepared for what I was about to drink.

Decadent Ales's French Toast DIPA looks like your typical unfiltered double IPA. For that reason alone, I thought I had an idea of what the aroma would be like. I thought it would have subtle elements of french toast but would mostly be full of bold hop aromas. Surprisingly, I could not have been any more wrong. The nose was strictly french toast with butter, cinnamon & maple syrup. There was a touch of citrus hops but that's it. The first sip and every sip after delivered the same thing, french toast with butter, cinnamon & maple syrup. It got to a point that it made me want the real thing instead of a beer. The maple flavor in particular is huge and dominates everything else. There is a lactose creaminess to it as well that really brings home the buttery note. The hops that are here add a nice touch of spiciness that pairs well with the cinnamon. The finish has light touch of hop bitterness, along with a hint of booziness. I can't emphasize this enough, the sweetness from the maple syrup is really the star of the show here. While the finish does provide some balance, the maple syrup completely overpowers it. As someone who lacks a sweet tooth, this became a bit too much.

French Toast DIPA is a strange, creative & unique drinking experience. I liked it but I am glad I only got one can. It is by no means sessionable and the gimmick of it wears off as soon as the glass is empty. If this sounds good to you, then I recommend picking up a can. It delivers everything it promises except the hoppiness you would typically expect from a DIPA. This beer definitely opened my eyes to Decadent Ales. While this one is not particularly my thing, they did successfully capture French Toast in beer form. For that reason alone I am hoping to try more of their beers in the near future.

Overall rating: 3.5/5



Rating Scale:
1. Repugnant and undrinkable
2. Acceptable but forgettable
3. Good, worth a purchase
4. Excellent, a step above the norm
5. Truly Exceptional. Drop everything, BUY IT NOW!

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!