Tonight I'm going to be drinking Alaskan Brewing Company's IPA, a year-round offering from this Juneau, Alaska based brewery. A cool thing to note, Alaskan Brewing is donating 1% of the proceeds from all IPA sales to promote the health and sustainability of the Pacific Ocean and it's coastlines - philanthropy always wins. Now down to the beer-geek tidbits - this is a 6.2% brew with 55 IBUs, brewed with glacier-fed (that's right, fresh from a damn glacier!) water and a fervent mix of Northwest hops (my favorite). They recommend this beer be paired with grilled prawns and other spicy foods. The label on the bottle pictures a huge snowy mountain in the background...with a surfer riding a wave in the front. Probably a symbol for this beer, bold and adventurous? This is going into my ale glass with a small half inch of white-white foam that proves to be super sticky. The beer is a bright golden straw color, just slightly hazy. The aroma is fresh, greens, not necessarily pine, but almost a fresh spring scent. Also some honey-wheat and lemon show up.
The taste starts off crisp and juicy, with a big dose of red grapefruits and musty, herbal malt sweetness. The body is bold enough to carry the flavors, very smooth. The hoppiness carries on, throughout the rest of the drink, but there is an omnipresent malt sweetness that reminds me of biscuits, bread, butter, but it remains only an underlying factor in the overall profile of the beer. The finish leaves a lingering sticky resin that is really pleasant.
Overall Rating: This was a beer that started good, and got better with each sip. This is a beer I could recommend to beer-drinkers that may not necessarily prefer hoppy beers - it's never overly bitter, but presents the hop flavors in a calm, relaxed, smooth setting. I'm excited to have Alaskan Brewing Company in Minnesota, these guys make great brew!
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