It has been a rough few months for Backlash Brewing. In October there were published reports that the landlord who owns their Roxbury brewery and taproom was trying to find another brewery to take over the space. In late December I started hearing rumors that Backlash had closed the taproom, multiple people I know had stopped by and found the doors locked despite no official announcement. The formal announcement came soon after, just over a year after it opened Backlash has closed it’s taproom for good. The brand will continue to operate under a contract model, distributing their beer in Massachusetts and Maine. It seemed like the whole taproom process was a rough go for Backlash, opening the taproom ran into a bunch of issues and delays that seemed to really set the brand back at a time when other breweries were establishing and expanding thriving locations. I’ve always been a fan of the Backlash brand and their beers, and I hope they land on their feet and keep making quality brews. I was able to find some Backlash Fenway IPA on a stock-up run this weekend. Fenway is part of Backlash’s rotating NEIPA Stomping Ground Series paying tribute to Boston neighborhoods. Backlash Fenway is brewed with Citra and Idaho 7 hops and available on a rotating basis on draft and in 16 oz. cans.
Backlash Fenway pours slightly hazy light orange with a massive white head. The aroma is solidly hoppy, lots of citrus and tropical fruit. The flavor is also hop forward, notes of orange, passion fruit, and grapefruit along with a touch of late bitterness. A noticeable malt backbone adds balance along with hints of crackers and bread crust. Fenway is medium-bodied, smooth and has the 7% ABV that seems to be the standard for NEIPAs. The finish is crisp with plenty of lingering hop flavor. This is another very strong release from Backlash. I hope the brewery the best in their future endeavors and look forward to drinking more of their beers! Hoppy Boston score: 4.5/5.
Previous Backlash Reviews:
Backlash Mother of Invention, Backlash Citra Salute, Backlash Ricochet, Backlash Muerte, Backlash Oath, Backlash Convergence, Backlash Chaos, Backlash Redux
Hoppy Boston 
