Sunday, June 30, 2013

Uinta Detour Double IPA


Uinta Detour Double IPA, from the Crooked Line Series. 9.5% ALC by VOL. Uinta Brewing Company, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Do I count this as a Chicago beer, even though it's from Utah? We haven't had Uinta in MN in quite some time, not since they started this series. Let's say yes.
Some gobbledygook on the label, which I'll recite to you later.

Nice, bright crimson, coloring, prodigious head, full and flowering, soon drifting down, looking good.

Aroma: Earthy, herbal-y, slightly spicy, with plenty of malt aromas, along with fruity esters. Not the usual one we expect from a double IPA, not the typical pine and citrus stuff. More of an English IPA/double IPA.  now, to drink!

Taste: Malt forward, this one. More earthiness, some fruit, more apple, cherry. Rich, slightly sweet, and the booze is kicking in. Hops are tingling, slightly higher bitterness…but not enough hops in this one. I'm getting the feel of an English barley-wine, more than anything else. Higher alcohol, major malt, big hops, but not really standing over the others.

Let's check out that gobbledygook: "Detour blazes the trail for fresh and bold double IPAs. Four varieties of hops combine to step up the flavor profile. A hoppy adventure that finishes dry. Big in alcohol and character. Venture to pair with other spirited flavors such as those found in spicy ethnic foods."

If I were writing a spoof, I'd write that last sentence. Holy crap that's some terrible gobbledygook!
 It's a double IPA, in a sense, sure. Double up an English IPA, with more malt than hops, and you've got a barley-wine. As that, it's okay.

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