Devil's Kitchen Strong Golden Ale
Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom

Had this beer on tap at the brewpub the other day. It was described as a strong golden ale on the beer list, but reminded me more of a Belgian style trippel.

The beer pours a bright gold color with decent head retention and lacing. I don't get a lot on the nose, just some light sweet malt. My initial impression when I tasted the beer was that it was a rather light, thin golden ale. However, as it warmed up in the glass a bit, the flavors became more pronounced, consisting of some apple and cherry. While pleasant, the beer is a bit simple IMO, with none of the character and complexity one normally finds in a Belgian trippel or strong golden ale. The mouthfeel is surprisingly light on this beer and the alcohol well disguised. So for what it is I'd describe it as pretty drinkable.

A nice beer, but really nothing special. I probably won't order it again.

Of the six beers Double Mountain featured at the end of their first summer season, this was the only one I didn’t care for. In fact, it was dreadful. First, it’s difficult to categorize. That’s not a beer problem, just semantics. In fact, I like the idea of a “Strong Golden Ale” that is neither an imperial IPA nor Belgian derived in any sense beyond the use of candi sugar. Perhaps the problem is that two yeast strains are used and they don’t seem to speak the same language.

But I think the underlying cause of this beer’s failure is a serious sanitation crisis. The beer was painful to drink and betrayed a serious measure of spoilage. Devil’s Kitchen – named for a landmark on nearby Mt. Hood – is unusually bright golden with a white collared head and a slight taste of ginger. Its most redeeming feature is that it finishes quickly and cleanly.

Double Mountain serves DK in a stemmed wine glass. Their menu touts this as “perilously drinkable.” They got that half right.