The wra
pup of the beers I got to try in Seattle:
Sumerian-Hopruption Double IPA: the nose has some solid dank, piney qualities. There isn’t much in the middle, which tracks for a DIPA but that also means that there is much between the nose and a very strong bitterness that is working the same pine qualities of as the nose. Still, I’d personally like a little more malt in the middle: this isn’t a bad beer, I just feel like it’s a lost opportunity.
Lucky Envelope-Eniac IPA: The nose on this is amazing. Mosaic hops, as though I’d just cut open the bag to put them in the beer. I’m really impressed by that. The beer itself isn’t as intensely bitter as I might expect, though, given the IPAs I’ve had recently. There’s a bite, sure but it’s not scouring and it doesn’t linger. There is even a little sweetness in there, leading into something faintly grassy. I’m pretty happy with this one.
Grimm Brothers Brewhouse-Little Red Cap alt: I don’t get much nose but what I can get, there’s some malt there, little caramel, maybe some C60 malt? But it’s not a sweeter ale: a little roasted quality, a little dry on the finish. The Red Cap is a pretty drinkable beer that I could see going really well with some pub food. I’d have another: heck, I’d try something else by the brewery.
Black Market Brewing-Enemy Within IPA with dragonfruit: so, this beer kinda exploded. No reason for it that I can tell, but the initial pour was 85% foam and took a little time to settle out. But there’s a nice nose on it and the beer is reasonably drinkable. There’s a fruity quality that is close to citrus but not quite, which I suppose is the dragonfruit. The finish is a little weird, too: not quite dry but I get a strange, tacky sensation on the roof of my mouth.
Urban Family-Island Crusher Dry hopped sour w/pineapple: has a fruity funk on the nose but the beer itself isn’t too sour-tart, yes but not mouth puckery/dryingly so. It works more like a lemonade, maybe a bit stronger but definitely the kind of beer that I could see going to frequently during the summer. The finish is also surprisingly clean, making for a remarkably drinkable sour.
Aslan Brewing-Dawn Patrol Pacific IPA: Nice nose, with some watermelon and guava in it. Not what I was expecting but pleasant nonetheless! The beer itself continues the tropical fruit flavors, and then finishes very clean, with a lot of bubbly pop at the end. I’m still not up for pacific ale as a style-I don’t think this exists-but it’s a nice beer all the same.
A pint for Dionysus 