Fennec Pale Ale by Social Fox Brewing is being evaluated as an American Pale Ale (2021 BJCP Guidelines Category 18B).

The aroma is hop forward with a complex array of grapefruit, balsam fir and cannabis. There is a light oxidized hop aroma present, but it is far from isovaleric and isn’t detrimental within the grand scheme of things. Fermentation of this beer is clean and the hop aroma overpowers any discernible malt profile. The beer is a dark blonde with moderate haze and pours with a large billowing off-white head that stands tall for a considerable amount of time.      

The flavor emphasizes more hop bitterness than hop flavor within the balance. The hop flavors that stick out most are musty cannabis and oxidized pine. While there was some grapefruit in the aroma there is a lack of bright citrus or any appealing hop flavor present. The finish is appropriately dry and the neutral malt is well balanced to the ratio of hop bitterness present for this style.

This beer makes me feel like I emerged from a time machine and drank a pale ale from 1997. It is not objectively a bad beer but falls short of the standards for modern APA. Today's brewers have greater access to fresher, higher-quality hops and standards are higher for packaging as well. In a style that is meant to showcase hops it is important that they are presented in a way that exemplifies freshness to help promote bright aromatics and flavor. For consideration, the package date on the can says 1/12/22 and this beer was consumed for review on 5/6/22.