Review: Float House Hoppy THC Brews

THC seltzers are rampant. THC beers are far less common, perhaps because enthusiasts just don’t like to muddy the waters with cannabinoids, even if alcohol isn’t involved.

Float House, based in Windsor, Connecticut, produces a small but growing collection of “can-na-brews” designed to offer a craft beer drinking experience (though the product is not formally brewed the same way a beer is) but with hemp-derived THC in the mix instead of alcohol. It’s a calculus that may not work for everyone, but if you’re looking for a cannabis buzz instead of a boozy one — but still want the carbs — Float House is worth a look.

Cans come in two sizes, with the larger offerings featuring far higher dosage: 12 oz cans contain 3mg of THC and either 3mg or 6mg of CBD. 16 oz cans contain a healthy 10mg of each.

We tasted four Float House offerings. Thoughts follow.

Float House THC IPA – This looks the part in the glass, but after the moderately heavy head simmers down, what remains underwhelms. A bracing attack of bitterness sets a west coast IPA stage, but there’s unfortunately not enough backbone or body to prop it up. A fairly watery midsection leads to a bluntly bitter but otherwise flabby finish, with vague secondary notes of grapefruit peel and a little anise ringing the edges. This is a case where a little terpene character helps to add some herbal funk, but what’s really needed here is more nuance that goes beyond basic bitterness. B-

Float House THC DIPA – Can pumping up the hops improve the outlook for the more watery standard IPA? Turns out it can. This double IPA may be flat-headed but it makes up for it with a depth of flavor that the standard issue offering can only dream of. Intensely bitter and grassy, with authentic hop flavors and a whip of licorice on the finish. I had hoped for a little fruit to perk up in the mix but this is again a straightforward west coast style, the hammer down on the crackling, lingering punch of bitterness. Definitely a step up and, of course, it’s still non-alcoholic. A-

Float House THC Lite – I came to this mere 14-calorie offering with minimal expectations, but was surprised by how flavorful this non-alc lager was, showing off its bursts of lemon-infused cereal grains and a light touch of caramel. To be sure, this has a wafer-thin body, but it manages to avoid becoming watery, even as it warms in the glass. Simple but pleasant, just as a light beer should be… only with a twist. A-

Float House THC Nitro – Not quite a stout but at least in the wheelhouse — maybe closer to porter, for my money. The dark brew isn’t particularly heavy duty in body, but it makes up for its lack of any overt nitro-like creaminess with plenty of flavor, including roasted coffee, vanilla, and some lingering bitter elements running to bay leaf and, in the end, a slight hemp-driven quality. Coffee grounds linger on the finish, along with a late-game sourness that evokes a slightly vinegary tone. Fair enough, but less engaging than I was expecting. B

each $12 to $20 per four-pack

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