A few weeks ago, I was in San Diego for work and bought some local beers to enjoy while watching the sunset over the bay from my hotel. This beer was part of a mixed pack of IPAs from Mission Brewing, and it made the trip back to Illinois with me in my luggage so I could enjoy it here on my deck. It’s been a busy last few weeks, moving my son to his new apartment, a conference in Chicago, and moving my daughter to college for her freshman year. I’m studying for the CISM exam I’m taking this week, but it’s such a nice day, I had to crack open a beer and enjoy the afternoon.
Location: Purchased in San Diego and poured into a Teku pint glass at my home in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 9.25% ABV, 72 IBUs, ~320 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It has a large, thick, rocky, cream-colored head that stuck around a while and left some nice lacing on the glass as I sipped it. It is a bit hazy, and is copper colored with a bit of an orange hue. The aroma is a mix of a juicy fruit and dankness with hints of caramel booziness.
Taste & Feel: The body is medium to full and the mouthfeel is mostly smooth with just a bit of a hop bite. The flavor up front is a mix of sweetness and bitterness with bit of malty juicy fruit flavor and some dank-piney bitterness. The middle is a bit more sweet with some more maltiness coming through the juicy fruit flavors. In the finish, the bitterness comes back in strong with an almost piney-resinous bitterness that is tempered by the sweetness in the background. The bitterness sticks around in the aftertaste, fading after a minute or two, allowing both the sweetness and bitterness to share the palate for a while.
Food Pairing: The mix of maltiness and bitterness left me craving a thick, juicy burger with a solid dose of cheese to complement the bitterness. I might also pair this with garlic buffalo wings for a back and forth flavorful contrast.
Overall Impression: This is a solid double IPA that drinks like a more flavorful IPA – meaning it’s quite drinkable, and having a couple of them (as I did today) will leave you feeling very good. I enjoyed the solid malty backbone that offered a bit of juicy fruit flavor, which balanced the piney and a bit dank bitterness. Overall, I found this to be an extremely flavorful beer with a nice little ABV punch – perfect for a slow Sunday afternoon on the deck, like today.
My Rating: 
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