Fidens Can't Comprehend
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Tasting Notes
Can't Comprehend is a hazy double IPA built around soft, pillowy mouthfeel and aggressive dry-hop character. Expect a dense tropical fruit load — think mango, guava, and ripe peach — layered over a faint doughy sweetness that keeps bitterness well in check. The finish is smooth rather than resinous, with just enough lingering hop oil to remind you what you're drinking. The 8% ABV sits quietly in the background, which is both a selling point and something to be mindful of.
About the Brewery
Fidens Brewing is based in Colonie, New York, just outside Albany, and has built a devoted following in the Northeast for its hazy, juice-forward IPAs. They operate with a relatively small footprint but command serious attention on the secondary trading circuit, particularly for their rotating single and double IPA releases. Their beers are known for technical consistency in a style where oxidation and freshness are constant challenges, and Can't Comprehend is one of their more recognizable flagship offerings.
Food Pairings
The tropical fruit and soft bitterness here work well with spicy Thai green curry, where the hop sweetness cools the heat without disappearing into it. Grilled shrimp tacos with mango salsa mirror the beer's fruit character and add a char note that grounds the pairing. A washed-rind cheese like Taleggio provides enough funk and fat to stand up to the hop intensity without overwhelming it. Fish and chips also make sense — the light batter and mild fish let the beer's aromatics carry the pairing rather than compete.
Style Guide
American Double or Imperial IPAs take the standard American IPA framework and push it harder in nearly every direction — more malt, more hops, more alcohol, typically landing between 7.5% and 10% ABV. The style emerged from American craft brewing in the late 1990s and early 2000s as brewers competed to maximize hop expression while maintaining drinkability. What separates it from a standard IPA is sheer intensity and a fuller body, and what separates the hazy iteration from West Coast doubles is a focus on hop aroma and juiciness over sharp, resinous bitterness.