Batch 201 IPA
12 String Brewing Company

i have liked all the hoppy beers ive had from these guys so far, but this one really is a standout, listed at 7% abv at the brewery when i got into it, a little less than whats posted here on BA, but it drinks like a session beer, so fresh and juicy, uniquely hopped, and light on the malt for its color, which suggests a little more old school balance than is actually here. id love to know what the hops are in this light orange and frothy brew, it smells like ripe melon, sweet orange, and something a little more herbal and tropical, soft white tea, jasmine, and lemongrass, really fresh and appealing, lightly malty behind it, but not sweet to me. the flavor is about the same, really bright and hop driven, subtle gooseberry, kiwi, and clementine here, sweet lemon, verbena, light biscuit tones from the grain, and a clean fermentation on it. its not hardly bitter at all, has a nice oily linger, and to me the hops seems super unique, and are hard to place specifically. great flavor overall here, nicely refined, hands down the best beer i have had from these guys, but i was stoked on all i had when i visited the brewery last week, really cool place with a ton of choices. definitely one of the better breweries in the area that i have experienced so far, this one was awesome and absolutely stands out in the crowded ipa scene in this part of the country!

 

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a hazy, dark coppery amber with a one finger ivory head with great retention and lots of lacing. Aroma of mildly caramel and bready malt, citrus hops, lemon citrus and green tea. Flavor follows, malty with light caramel, citrus hops, lemon and grapefruit and iced tea. Long lingering citrus rind finish with a little astringency. Medium bodied with good carbonation and light creaminess. A nice, hoppy IPA that leans in the direction of a continental profile than the Northwest style. Good malt support, but with light malt flavor. Hops are forward, with a good citrus profile and lingering hop bitterness. Some astringency lingers in the finish. A refreshing IPA for a warm summer evening.

 

 

32oz grunt filled at the South Hill Growler Guys in Spokane, WA, for $6.56, I believe (including tax). A friend who happens to be an outstanding home brewer told me this was brewed utilizing a yeast strain provided out of friendship by Barley Brown’s in Baker City, Oregon. A lot of Twelve String’s earlier hoppy beers were brewed with a yeast strain that tended to showcase the malts rather than the hops, so this beer is apparently the beginning of brewing with a strain that is more hop friendly.

Poured a hazy, orangey-russet color, with a good sized beige colored head that left lots of lace. Definitely an unfiltered brew.

Not a huge nose on this, but what there is smells like citrusy hops.

Citrusy hop flavor forward, but not a tooth enamel-burning example of the style. Still, there’s enough hop flavor that you definitely know it’s an IPA, and while it’s got a taste that is somewhere between grapefruit and pineapple, it’s not like a fermented juice bomb. If you dig IPAs, this is very drinkable. I still find it’s got a noticeable malt backbone, but compared to their earlier IPAs, I find this a lot more pleasing to an avowed hophead.

Medium bodied, with a resiny, oily mouthfeel.

Glad I picked this (I don’t get out to the valley that often to drink Twelve String’s beers at the source) at Growler Guys. Really awesome service there, by the way. I went in for a grunt fill of Iron Goat’s Goatnik, but the keg blew about 25% into the fill. Sean (who I think is the manager but I’m not certain) comped me for that, then allowed me to grab another grunt from them to get another beer, charging me only for that fill. Very cool.

 

Tried in the taproom. A darker pour than expected for an IPA, but very tasty - like a Jam Session on steroids. It's a little more malty and sweet than your regular WC IPA, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The hops are nicely balanced here, making for a juicy IPA. This has become my go-to at 12 String; I either start here and try something new, or start here and stay here. Smooth, easy to drink, and delicious. A must-try when you visit or see it around Spokane.