BlackStack DDH Sponge Bath DIPA.
8.5 % ABV, BlackStack Brewing, St. Paul, MN.
This is the sort of beer that I do not normally purchase. I am striving to avoid 4-packs that retail at $16 and up. There's a lot of good beers out there to drink that don't push those particular limits. This one, though, was sold as single for $5 or so, and I picked one up, why not. If it were up to me, all of those "spendy" 4-packs would be on the single shelf, if only for a little while. But, it's not my call, just one of my many struggles.
Hazy as hazy gets, bright golden coloration, slim white head.
In the nose: Bold citrus notes, and more. Lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, mango, orange. Bright and sunny.
In the mouth: Comes on soft and smooth, with a certain citrus spike in the flavors. All the above return on the palate. "Pillowy" mouthfeel, sure. (Who came up with that dumb phrase?) Juicy, of course. Low bitterness...the kind I hate. This succeeds spectacularly at a style I've come to despise more and more. For me, a "double IPA" should not just be higher alcohol, but also double the bitterness. Not here, no way. I get no kicks out of it, that's for sure. It tastes fine, I guess, but this style is so antithetical to what I enjoy in a real IPA, I really should avoid them altogether, except...
...except that's all anyone makes anymore. And they put them out without labeling them as such. And it's just so fucking boring...sigh...And if they make a non-hazy IPA, they have to act cutely ironic about it...
We’ve been honing our soft & squishy IPA game since we opened our doors 3 ½ years ago. Our constant pursuit of pillowy hop perfection leads us down many paths, but some combinations lather better than others. Double portions of our hand selected Citra Cryo, Mosaic, Cashmere Cryo & Strata. Soothing and refreshing, just like a sponge bath at Burning Man. Relax, Rinse & Repeat.
"Soft & Squishy" is not how I'd ever refer to a good IPA. It's the end times, people.
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