Cascade Daze IPA
Birdsview Brewing Company

The unusually zealous carbonation and unrefined mash-like quality of the aroma and taste caused me to suspect that my pint of Cascade Daze was not finished fermenting. I later learned from the brewer that he’d been busy in recent weeks and was forced to start serving some beers from the bright tanks before they’d properly aged and settled out. That might also explain some of the raw grainy qualities and the strained mouthfeel.

But Cascade Daze still had no hint of hop aroma and showed a lack of conformity to style that might disappoint some mainstream IPA enthusiasts. The vigorous carbonation sustained a huge fluffy head above the unfiltered rust-ochre body. The lace was also ambitious.

At 7.7% ABV, this is Birdsview’s strongest ale. I eventually came to appreciate it somewhat for what it is, while still not accepting it for what it probably should have been. It’s very unpolished and unevolved.