Deschutes Hop In The Dark Cascadian Dark Ale

Deschutes Brewery
Bend, OR

APPEARANCE: 2.75/3
Black opaque, like black coffee. Perfect head: rocky, fine bubbles, espresso-colored. Beautiful lacing.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Green-grassy with a hint of roast—like an espresso. Meadowy, with a hint of chocolate.

TASTE: 7.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Sweet, grassy and biscuit, with a touch of coffee. Sweet cream up-front, fades to hop bitter. Nicely balanced.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Roast coffee aftertaste, some coffee. Subtle hop bitterness.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Light-bodied, smooth.

OVERALL: 2.25/3: It's good, a good example of the style. Would have liked to seen it a bit bigger. But good.

TOTAL: 15.5/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Nicely done, and I'm a sucker for Cascade hops. I was expecting a bigger beer–in a 4-pack, I might have accepted it better. A sweet take on the style, and tasty.
Ben: Lighter-bodied than I expected. Roasty and hoppy, a good example of a black IPA. Tasty, lip-smacking, I'd buy it again.

Deschutes Hop Henge Experimental IPA

Deschutes Brewery
Bend, OR

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Cloudy orange-brown. Foamy, rocky head that lasts, laces nicely.

AROMA: 3/4
Sweet, malty but not a ton of hop nose. Bready, some pineapple. Touch of citrus, woody aroma.

TASTE: 8/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.5/4: Very nicely balanced. Sweet up front–bready, orange peel, brown sugar. Piney hop.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Nice hop bitterness at finish, subtle sour that lingers.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Bouncy, full but not cloying. Nicely carbonated. Maybe a bit chewy.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: A big beer, but not boozy. At 9% ABV, it's dangerously drinkable. More like a really good Imperial Pale Ale than an IPA.

TOTAL: 15.75/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: I'm a hophead, and this doesn't beat you over the head with hops—but I'm not complaining one bit. A big, smooth, tasty beer, well worth a try.
Ben: I would have liked more hop aroma; that said, I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

Green Flash West Coast IPA

Green Flash Brewing Company
San Diego, CA

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Thick, rocky head with big bubbles. Gummy, floculent yeast (though Matt may have done a bad job pouring it). Orange-brown color. Not super-pretty, but head-lacing is very nice.

AROMA: 3.75/4
Hop! Piney-woody-meadowy, all at once. Heaven.

TASTE: 9.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.75/4: Mouthful o' hop. Lots of hop flavors. Nicely balanced. Woody, biscuit taste. Slight brown sugar.
Aftertaste: 2.75/3: Hop bitterness! Sits on back of tongue and lingers (for a while).
Mouth-Feel: 2.75/3: Very full. Smooth—easy drinking. A bit boozy for the ABV, but good.

OVERALL: 3/3: This is the perfect American IPA—phenomenal, the gold standard for the style. Great on tap, or in a bottle, or in a puddle on the floor which you would then shamelessly lick up—it's that good.

TOTAL: 18.25/20–Keep 'Em Comin'

NOTES:
Matt: The day Green Flash came to Kansas City, I was born again. A fantastic IPA, as good as it gets. You deserve an IPA this good.
Ben: This and Pliny are the top 2 IPAs in the known universe. If you see it on tap, don't dare pass it up!