Introduction

Shaun and Danny O’Hearn looked across the grey sea one morning and then at one another and asked the question that all great men ask - “Are we going to start a brewery?” Naturally. It started as a small brewpub, built under a landmark pub and stealthily becoming a popular spot for the locals of Dartmouth - what is now a small community in Halifax, Nova Scotia. A few stones in the round compelled the brothers to open a microbrewery away from the basement restaurant. They discovered a location nearby and got down to the serious business of brewing good beer. All of the beer brewed by Nine Locks is small-batch and with no pasteurization or preservatives. This is beer the old school way, when ships were tall and beer was powerful. The Fathom Double IPA is a pale ale with a lot of hop kick to it. Hazy, hoppy, hardcore... Big on flavour with an evolving hop profile, if IPA is your game, it’s on. Serves well at 7°C and should be cracked open right away.

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How it looks

Pours a pale yellow colour with a hazy body and low carbonation. Only a small line of small bubbles forms any kind of head.

How it smells

A bold mix of tropical fruits and fresh, green hops blast out of the glass into your nose. The fruit is mixed together but you can sniff out some pineapple.

How it tastes

The fruity tones take a back seat to the hops on the palate. The tropical sweetness is still there, but it’s behind some strong floral and leaf flavour that shifts into a more earthy, bitter tone after it warms up. Once the hops turn on, everything else falls into the background. The taste is sharp and fast, trailing off to a slightly dry, cut-root taste left behind. A snap of a tasting experience, so let it linger in the mouth for a moment.

Recommended food pairing

Ripe for some spicy and fatty foods to complement the hoppiness. Szechuan pork stir fry would be a nice pairing.