Spar-Tesian IPA
McMenamins Inc.

Pint consumed at The Spar while my niece was under the table and playing with my shoes. If you can't tell from the name, this is an IPA brewed at the Spar using water from one of Olympia's vaunted artesian wells. (anybody remember, "It's the water"? Here's the description from their website:

"This Artesian water IPA features Nugget and Centennial hops, lightly flavored with white wheat and crystal malts.

It was a copper-amber colored beer, with a modest, off-white head.

Piney in the nose, but not hugely so. There's some malt backbone as well.

Piney hop flavor, with a solid, unspectacular malt backup. I couldn't tell any difference from the wheat malt. There was also a bit of mineralish flavor (the artesian water?).

Medium bodied, with a lightly oily mouthfeel.

A decent session IPA, I suppose, but nothing worth seeking out unless you already happen to be stopping by the Spar.

 

To appreciate the appropriately hip name, you need to understand that Olympia is famous for its artesian well water. It's a local point of pride that a number of downtown restaurants make good use of. And now these famous waters are again being put to good use as the principle ingredient in local ales.

Spartesian is a soft, summer ale. It is exceptionally pale in a dramatic hue of sun-yellow. Gentle, velvety suds cap the body while the glass flaunts a healthy measure of lace. Aggressive German bittering and strong yeasts give the beer a hook that takes a moment to adjust to and there's enough edge here to keep the timid at bay. Fortunately, my tastes stray far from "timid" and I was able to settle in to a satisfying appreciation of this very pale beer.

Stylistically Spartesian is a notch removed from most English and American pales. It has low CO2, no smell, little forward hop flavor, and a vivid lemon color. But the smooth body makes it an easy drinker on a summer's day and I was left wondering if that billowy mouthfeel was attributable to Olympia's famous artesian well water.