We had an incredible day today. We drove up the Columbia River gorge, stopping at several waterfalls along the way. We finally hit Hood River at lunchtime and had lunch on the patio at Full Sail Brewing. It was super hot, so after a quick tour of the brewery, we tried to stop by Double Mountain, but it was packed. So we drove to Mount Hood and stopped at Timberline Lodge. After trekking it back to Portland, we relaxed and I cracked open this beer. I bought a few beers last night when we stopped at a Fresh Market, and this was one of them.
Location: Poured into a pint glass at my friend @Bettywriter‘s condo in Portland, OR.
Numbers: 6.5% ABV, 65 IBUs, ~200 Calories
Ingredients: Malts: Gambrinus Pilsner & Crystal; Hops: Simcoe and Brewers’ Gold
Appearance & Aroma: It’s a reddish-copper color, and extremely clear with a huge, frothy, cream-colored head on it. The head had nice retention and lacing, and gave way to a mix of malty caramel and piney-spicy hop aromas.
Taste & Feel: The body is medium and the mouthfeel is smooth and somewhat creamy with some hop oiliness. The front is mostly a somewhat sweet caramel maltiness with a little bit of spicy hoppiness behind it. The bitterness kicked in during the middle, with a good doese of spiciness and earthiness. The bitterness continued into the finish with a little bit of piney hoppiness behind it, as well as a bit of the maltiness peeking through. However, it was the spicy, earthy, piney bitterness that lasted for a minute or two in the aftertaste.
Food Pairing: This was a nice hoppy beer, but with a good dose of maltiness behind it. I love enjoying this kind of beer with a thick, juicy burger.
Overall Impression: I like the India Red Ale style, as it provides the full hoppy flavors and bitterness of an IPA, along with some caramel maltiness. I liked the caramel maltiness up front, as well as the hoppiness, but I thought the hop flavors muddled together a little bit. I just thought the flavor and bitterness could have been a bit cleaner and more definite. Overall, it was still a good beer, and I’m glad I got to try another one from Double Mountain.
My Rating: 
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