Uinta Brewing's Crooked Line Detour Double IPA - Beer Review
Neil, Eating isn't Cheating
Monday, May 30, 2011
This Detour Double IPA (9.5%) is part of a 'Crooked Line' series from Uinta brewing, which they say are a range of beers that side step traditional brewing techniques and ingredients and present a different approach to great beer. In fact, they don't say that, they say this:
"Our brewing odyssey is a thirsty quest to satisfy our obsession with beer. Marked with frequent diversions
and detours, our crooked path has taken us to some unexpected places. These adventures often culminate into late nights around a table, enjoying good food, artisan beer, and animated conversation.Our journey has ultimately led us here, on an innovative brewing escapade, an opportunity to brew outside the lines. Welcome to the Crooked Line, bent beers that side-step traditional brewing techniques and ingredients."
But that's a bit long winded isn't it?
Still, whatever their motivation, they've produced a fantastic beer, in one of the best looking
bottles I've seen in a while. Really unusual looking, creative, and just a touch weird, it works really well and definitely goes along with the 'Crooked' shtick that they're peddling. Zak commented on it being a great looking bottle a while back, but didn't go into much detail about the beer itself, something I'll try to rectify now (not that I can match his flowing prose of course).
It pours from the big 750ml corked and caged bottle a deep orange colour,
like a chunk of raw Amber, with a fluffy clean white head and very little carbonation.
You get sharp resinous hop oils on the nose, loads of pine resin, a little fresh pine needle and also touch of pineapple. There's a little bit of booze in the smell too, which is expected at 9.5%, but the overriding aroma are those big juicy hops.
The flavour is immediately bitter resinous hops, fresh pine and loads of pine resin aswell. Some bitter orange citrus oil, a little orange breadyness in the middle and again that slight fruity pineapple flavour fights to come through along with a faint bit of grapefruit. The mouthfeel is slick, smooth and slightly oily but that hop bitterness manages to keep it clean. The carbonation is perfect, not too heavy, and that pure white head sticks around and laces the glass. Impressive for a 9.5% beer. As it warms a little the booze becomes a touch more noticeable and warms your palate, but it never gets harsh, and for it's ABV remains dangerously drinkable.
This IPA has huge bitterness which follows through smoothly into the finish, there isn't a sudden dryness or bitterness that comes in, and in that sense it is very balanced and smooth. The bitter hops are constant and satisfying, but there's enough sweetness to keep your mouth from crippling and it finishes clean and dry with lingering pine and orange citrus oil.
It's a lovely beer, and one which I'm looking forward to drinking again.
It's a lovely beer, and one which I'm looking forward to drinking again.