Originally brewed as a collaborative effort for the inaugural Seattle Beer Week, Pike Brewing’s Double IPA is the beer that launched one of the best beer events in the country. For those of you who like beer, and have never attended Seattle Beer Week, mark mid-to-late May on your calendar. SBW is like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mardi Gras, and Carnivale all in one for beer lovers. There are beer dinners, Iron Brewer (like Iron Chef, but with brewing), sour beer festival, some of the best brewers from Washington and all over the country showcasing their beers. I get giddy like a school girl just thinking about it. Every year a different brewery is chosen as the host, and brews a beer to kick off the festival. The Double IPA was a natural choice to showcase Washington’s proud hop growing tradition, and Seattleites love for a big, hoppy, IPA. Pike’s Double IPA gives proper respect to both.
When someone says, “do you want a beer?” most people have a style in mind that to them says beer. For my wife it is a porter or stout that is chocolaty, with a hint of coffee. For others it is a Pilsner that numbs your hand when pulled out of a cooler filled with icy water. For me, it is the big texture of a well crafted Double IPA that is generously hopped, with a firm malty balance. A good IPA evokes a sense of calm and relaxation; a time to just enjoy a moment. Whether that moment is both of my kids falling asleep, the end of a hard days work, or a good game on TV, a well rounded, hoppy beer like the Pike Double IPA is the beer I want. A big citrusy, grassy hop flavor up front is complimented nicely with just the right amount of alcohol and semi-sweet bready malt, make this IPA hearty, but drinkable. At 8% ABV it’s not a beer you can drink all night, but one to savor and enjoy.
