Jade - Foothills Brewing Company

rangerred

Tennessee

4.35/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Had on tap.

Pours a hazy medium orange with no head to speak of. A small amount of lacing but nothing impressive.

Very tropica citrus aroma with a hefty amount of bread as well. There is a nice floral aroma mixing in too. Very inviting and quite nice.

Lots of mango and grapefruit in the taste with more bread and biscuit. Huge deptht to the hops in this one with a very strong malt backbone for balance. Very high bitterness that leads to a dry finish that is pleasant on a beer of this strength as opposed to sweetness that is all to often present in these types of beers.

Overall, a very nice job by Foothills and a beer that I wish was more widely available.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2013 18:16:28 | More by rangerred

smakawhat

Maryland

4.71/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured on tap into a shaker pint.

Half a finger of off white head presented, kind of sudsy. Hazy murky body a bit, yellow but with light brown through most of it. Lemon body on the bottom with murky brown up top. Virtually no visible carbonation, minimal lacing.

Aroma and bouquet just jumps and explodes. Ripping juicy melon and cantalope. Hop tropics seem to sneak in, with a matching light sweetness and juicy quality. I am in love.

Palate has a very noticeable and unexpected carbonation. It distracts just a little. Sweet melon matching palate, with hop bursting woody resin. Coating. Mild tropics with lingering mellow fruit that goes on forever. Honey light action that goes on forever, with a lip smacking coating.

Overall a stupid good ipa that is bigger than most DIPAs I've had, and really is memorable..

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2013 16:38:24 | More by smakawhat

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.1/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

On tap at Sticks and Stones, Greensboro, NC. Served in a pint glass.

Appearance - Hazy orange body with a nice white head. Excellent lacing and retention.

Smell - Distinctive Jade hop aroma. Bright and citrusy orange up front that immediately turns herbal. Great aroma.

Taste - Mimics the smell. Much more herbal here though. Just a hint of sweetness. Minimal malt content. Touch of bitterness at the back end.

Mouthfeel - Seems heavier than a single IPA. Herbal character combines with the bitterness and intensifies it.

Overall - Grew on me as I drank it. I think this could be much better with a different hop, but it's excellent regardless.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 04:37:44 | More by Alieniloquium

AlexFields

Tennessee

4.49/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a cloudy topaz color.

Smells of juicy sweet pineapple and orange, lots of tropical fruit, maybe hints or flowers.

Taste is sweet juicy tropical fruit, fades into flowers and sweet honey. Really delicious

Nice mouthfeel, good carb, very drinkable.

This is awesome.

9.3/10

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2013 23:33:37 | More by AlexFields

Treyliff

West Virginia

4.18/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A- pours bright golden-yellow with a small white creamy head that leaves lace all around the ring.

S- citrus and lemon zest, slightly earthy, with clean-slightly sweet malt

T- citrus hop zest with a kick of lemongrass, herbal notes mid palate with a dry and bitter finish. Extremely well balanced as the malt provides just enough sweetness to let the citrus notes shine.

M- medium bodies with low carbonation and a pure velvet mouthfeel with a creamy smooth finish

O- solid IPA, very drinkable and well balanced.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2013 21:39:16 | More by Treyliff

Cuttooth

North Carolina

4.54/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Walked into Foothills Brewing yesterday to see if they had this gem on tap (get it)? Fortunately, they did, along with about 10 other beers.

Poured a hazy orange color that was pretty translucent to be honest. I didn't see too much sediment but I couldn't see through the other side of the glass. Not much of a head, but I guess they wanted me to get the most bang for my buck, which I appreciate.

The smell of this one was pretty damn good, kind of a Sculpin on crack. There were hints of orange, tangerine, pineapple and peach, along with other tropical fruits.

The taste was quite similar, even better if you can believe that. Tropical fruits dominate. The flavor did have a bit more grapefruit than the smell, though.

Mouthfeel was prickly carbonation and smooth overall.

After tasting both this and the Hoppyum IPA, I have a question to ask Foothills: why is this not being bottled?! This beer is one of the best single IPAs I've ever had and I've only seen it available in two locations, one being the brewery itself. If you can find this stuff, get a growler of it ASAP.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2013 20:49:36 | More by Cuttooth

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.21/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

64oz, filled 2/5/13, drank 2/8/13
DFH IPA glass

A: Slightly hazy bright yellow orange. Lots of big fluffy off white head. Sticky lacing bits. Nice carbonation.

S: Grapefruit. Orange marmalade. Some pine. More fruity hops. Some sweet malts there too.

T: There is some bitterness, but it's not right on the tip of the tongue. More so middle palate meshing nice with the malts. Finish is crisp and dry. Solid IPA.

M: Medium bodied. Nice mouth coating.

Serving type: growler

02-15-2013 17:58:29 | More by inlimbo77

Daktah

North Carolina

4.55/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Had on tap at Mellow Mushroom on 2/1/2013. Excited to try this after reading reviews but never finding it anywhere. Poured a bright, clear, golden amber with about a finger of white head that left decent lacing. Smell was exactly what I wanted: all citrus, predominantly grapefruit with a touch of sweet orange. Nearly perfect smell. Taste was crisp citrus with just the right amount of bitterness. Only downside I can come up with (and I'm really grasping here) is that the body is a little lighter than I expected. Still, an easy drinking, perfectly citrus IPA. I really hope this gets the six-pack treatment that Foothills is giving some of their better known beers - would be a regular purchase for me.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2013 16:56:43 | More by Daktah

tdm168

North Carolina

4.04/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

On tap at Wine 101 in Wake Forest

A - bright orangish yellow with a soft, thin, pillowy head that has great retention

S - light crystal malts, faint spicy hops

T - big citrusy hop notes, grapefruit, some herbal notes, faint peppery spiciness, mild bitter finish

M - medium bodied, smooth, well carbonated

This is a delicious, highly drinkable IPA. It may not have perfect balance or an outrageous ABV, but this is a beer with a good flavor profile and a drinkability that encourages a second round. I definitely recommend it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2013 01:45:09 | More by tdm168

Boski

4.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: Slight Orange tint to it. Nice head that dissipated quickly.

S: Fresh citrus mostly with a little pine.

T: Big citrus notes up front with a nice herbal character that lingered. A little sweetness from the malts was present.

M: Light to medium bodied. The taste lingered a while.

O: Enjoyed a pint at Foothills pub. I love this beer and love that they have made it available pretty much year round. It is a quite unique IPA with a little more herbal and slight mint flavor profile than I am used to. The Jade is my 2nd favorite IPA from Foothills... next to the Papa Jade!

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2013 00:03:06 | More by Boski

Bung

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tap at Duckworths. A bright orangy-gold pour. Maybe a finger of white head. Stuck to the glass pretty well.

Aroma, quite piney with some grapefruit.

Taste, some pale carmelly malt at first. Overridden by a ton of bitter citrus, herbal and piney hop notes. Finishes with lemon zest and grapefruit. A powerful hop resin bomb.

To the heavy side of light bodied. Ample carbonation, but the oils just coat the mouth. No problems drinking this one.
A must try for hopheads.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2013 02:11:49 | More by Bung

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at Foothills Brewing Company in Winston-Salem, NC.

A: Pours a lightly hazy golden yellowish orange in color with light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall off-white head that slowly fades to a thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer and a slightly thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Strong aromas of the hops - citrus/grapefruit, floral, and herbal (mint) hop aromas all come through.

T: Upfront there is a light amount of caramel malt sweetness with pretty big flavors from the hops - citrus/grapefruit, floral, and herbal (especially mint/pepper). Light to moderate amounts of bitterness in the finish but it does not linger for too long.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth.

O: I really enjoyed this beer - there is a great aroma and taste from the Jade hops that I really liked. Alcohol is well hidden which makes the beer very easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2012 04:34:26 | More by dbrauneis

nUgZ

North Carolina

4.81/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a growler into a snifter.

A: Pours a hazy orange color with a 1 finger head. Head doesn't last too long, but leaves some nice lacing.

S: This beer smells AMAZING!! If I could walk around all day with a glass of Jade in front of my nose I would. It's a mixture of fragrant hops, peach, and citrus.

T: Just like the smell, the taste is out of this world. Bitter hops up front with some fruity flavors coming next...mostly citrus flavors like orange and grapefruit.

M: Nice medium body with good carbonation. Just right for an IPA.

O: This is the best beer Foothills makes and I've had pretty much all of them. I buy at least 2 growlers of Jade every week...I guess I'm just lucky to live close to the brewery. If you like a hop-heavy fragrant IPA then this beer should be at the top of your list.

Serving type: growler

11-07-2012 23:52:57 | More by nUgZ

n2185

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: pours a slightly hazy orange with a finger of off-white head that fades into a thin ring with a little lacing.

S: bright citrus notes dominate with pineapple, grapefruit, and oranges.

T: citrus dominates here as well with grapefruit and pineapple mostly. The finish has some slight earthy and pine notes.

M: medium light body with a nice bite of carbonation to go with the hop flavors.

O: a surprisingly good IPA overall. Nice and fruity and drinkable without being overly sweet or bitter.

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2012 23:05:15 | More by n2185

beer2day

North Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

"on tap" at Ridgewood in Raleigh.

Near perfect gold pour, with a great combination of lemon and orange colors. No head and no lace, but great color.

Big blast of aggressive pineapple citrus in the nose. Really nice.

Big shot of sweet, estery hops right up front. Lots of grapefruit here. Near perfect finish with strong dry fruit. Arid.

Body is just right for the style. Stands up well to the flavor push.

Really wish they would do this year round. Always great to find it somewhere.

Serving type: growler

08-31-2012 00:48:47 | More by beer2day

fields336

North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: light amber, honey. 1.5 finger off white head, keeps a ring of lacing around the side of the glass

S: bready, peach, citrus, resin, pineapple, fruity, grapefruit

T: huge grapefruit, peach, caramel, resin, nice bready notes on the finish

M: medium bodies, nice dry finish

O: really delicious ipa, I'll be getting a growler of this

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2012 01:54:57 | More by fields336

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Finally. on draft in Winston-Salem at the Foothills taphouse.

Very cloudy deep amber body. The smell is a testament to the hop varietal. Balanced between resinous and fruity. I guess if you had to choose a single hop, this is it. The taste follows suit. Lots of bitterness, almost to an extreme. Toes that line, in a good way. After the bitterness fades, a hint of slick sweet oranges comes in. Finishes very bitter, yet slightly smooth. Not sure its the best IPA, but very good.

Serving type: on-tap

07-14-2012 06:29:00 | More by VncentLIFE

oberon

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Finally got to try this beer yesterday at the brewpub.Poured into a standard pint glass a deep orange infused golden with a great looking sticky white head.Citrus fruits all over the place in the nose with some underlying pine,a noticable caramel malt base is there but the citric hops dominate.A deep blast of citrus hops hits ya up front and they linger thru the duration,a little alcohol infused sweetness and caramel is there but again the hops steal the show.This is a great beer,it lived up to the hype.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2012 12:53:55 | More by oberon

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Holy crap, what a surprise!

I took a tour of the brewery the day I went and the brewmaster was really touting this one. Now I know why!

On tap at Foothills.

A: Poured a crystal clear, apricot-orange color with a few bubbles posing as a head floating around.

S: I got the Citra hops up front, with a sort of grapefruit-orange blend to boot. Despite the weak nose on many of their standard line-up entries, that definitely was NOT the case with this one.

T: I would describe this one as a much more complex, rice flake version of Bell's Two-Hearted, with a much more yeasty disposition overall. The finish was DEFINITELY rice.

M: This was carbonated enough, but still not too, with a slight bitterness on the finish than Foothill's other IPA efforts.

O: This was the best thing I've ever tried by Foothills... it even rivals Sexual Chocolate! However, I'll be back for BBA Sexual Chocolate this summer and we shall see...

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2012 00:24:17 | More by Chaney

ElCaholicRacer

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this on tap at the brewery at the same time I sampled the "Seeing Double". The appearance was a little weak, no head to speak of, no lacing, a light yellow in color. The first thing noticed is the grapefruit. The aroma hit me before the pint was set down. The taste is more of the same, pure grapefruit, it's all I could detect. A little acidic for my liking. It was very refreshing, but I think one is all I could drink in succession. A far cry from Seeing Double, although they are not really in the same class. Prost!

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2012 20:54:37 | More by ElCaholicRacer

thegodfather2701

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Pours a nice amber/deep golden color with no head to speak of. There was a bright white ring of foam but no lacing on the glass.

S-Grapefruit, lemon zest, and a hint of pineapple. Not that strong, but definitely good.

T-Much like the nose with grapefruit, pineapple, and a hint of tangerine leading the way with a nice malt backbone. It has an earthy, hoppy finish. It tasted very fresh. It is absolutely delicious.

M-Slick and syrupy as it does not have much carbonation.

D-Through the roof, I could drink this all day.

Overall, I really enjoy this ipa. I gave its overall score a 4.5 due to its high drinkability and phenomenal flavor. If there was more head and lacing it would have scored much higher in the appearance category. It is much better than Hoppyum. I would like to see this available year round as I think its a good ipa, and as far as ipa's I've had from NC its one of the best, if not the best.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2012 14:44:31 | More by thegodfather2701

JimKal

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this on tap today at Foothills. I was looking forward to it after reading all the positive reviews.

This arrived with virtually no head. There was a slight citrus aroma on this amber IPA.

I would not characterize the taste as very hop forward. You could taste the hops but I've had more aggressive hop taste from DFH and Smuttynose bottle pours. I just didn't find what I was hoping for from this IPA. I have had the Hoptimum from Foothills and found it more to my liking.

Again, this is not a bad beer but it did not measure up to my expectations.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2012 22:03:00 | More by JimKal

CrellMoset

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Foothills, served in a pint glass.

Appearance: A bright golden body with lively though not overly plentiful carbonation, complete with one finger of mildly off white, sticky, soapy head with subpar retention. Thin, delicate sheets on the sides of the glass have similarly subpar staying power.

Aroma: Bright, crisp, and floral, the backing malts are golden and simple, with only a hint of roast. Hints of mint and fresh herbs, scallions, thyme, and a few other springy notes. Sweetness is prevalent here, honey-like, mingling interestingly with the herbal notes as well as a more-prevalent-as-it-warns citrus notes.

Taste: Understated citrus, a slightly pithy dank finish, with a moderate roastiness, hints of herbal notes, a moderate level of bitterness, and a nice chunk of tobacco. A solidly flavorful profile, well balanced.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, moderately carbonated, not too thick. Pretty solid, and works well with the flavor profile.

Drinkability: A step up over their traditional IPA, Hoppyum. Maybe they should swap out some recipes here, but I really enjoyed this.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2011 20:19:19 | More by CrellMoset

scifan

North Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy golden star color with a one inch head.
Smells freakin fantastic. All citrusy hops and tropical fruit notes in the foreground and some sweet bready malt lurking deep, and I mean deep, in the background.
Taste follows the nose nicely. Big juicy, citrusy hops hit you first. Then a nice floral, earthy hops come through in the background. Some sweet malts hold things together nicely. Has a nice dry finish that keeps you coming back for another sip. This is probably the best IPA that has come out of NC. Great job Foothills I hope this one stays in the year round line up.

Serving type: growler

12-23-2011 05:29:49 | More by scifan

UNCCTDawg

North Carolina

4.95/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had this from the tap at Foothills in 2010 but failed to review it until it was released this year. I have had approx. 6 growlers fills since, it's that good.

A~ Hazed orange glow with a hint of gold with around 1 inch of fine white head. Lacing all the way down.

S~ Smell is what originally attracted me to this brew. Amazing Citrus and Floral from beginning to end. The way an IPA should smell, right here.

T~ So many different Citrus notes, very clean and crisp finish. An after tasted that stays with you. Light in taste, but full enough for a perfect combo with or without food.

M~ Medium/Light, keeps you coming back for more.

D~ Most drinkable IPA i've had. I could drink this every day. Never gets old.

I have tasted every beer on tap and Foothills and this is some of their best work. I have never been a HUGE fan of their regular IPA (Hoppyum) and would be thrilled to see them replace Hoppyum with Jade any day. Seeing Double is another quality IPA that they brew.

Serving type~ Tap 2010 & 2011

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2011 13:28:59 | More by UNCCTDawg