Hardball
White Flame Brewing Co.

 

A wonderful little surprise with six reasons.

First, the can. It got me. (Aside from never having had White Flame; and I like to give everyone a chance.)
Simply put, it is a cute can that is part of clever marketing.

Second, Hardball (the ale) is a good-Looker; nice amber tone, a nice foam that settles to a decent lace.

Third, Smells give me mostly malt and some pine; suitable for almost northern Michigan.

Fourth, Tastes are integrated, yet play well. The bitter pine keeps fighting and the malt pushes back only a little less each time. Hence, the finish is more bitter than I prefer; but still a relief from the novice short-cut of loading in the hops as an excuse for learning how to blend malts. Carbonation is modest, body is full; but is a bit too dry.

Fifth, the alcohol got me. I thought this was a normal IPA and a few sips later I discover I did not read the label's fine print. At 12.5%, Hardball conceals its best pitch well. This shows great craft skills as well. (The most popular DIPAs are under 10%, meaning to me that 12.5% is hard to conceal.)

Sixth, I like White Flame. A couple of home brewers get married and find a small town midway between Holland and Grand Rapids. They serve great beer and bar food and give a small community a reason to stay. Dedicated to lots that is good in crafting, I give White Flame some pretty good OA Big Hugs.

Quite a nice imperial IPA but didn’t get higher marks due to its stronger malt backbone. Nice amber color with some head and spotty lingering lacing. Smells good, nice piney and floral hops. Tastes similarly, along with some citrus zest hops, caramel, vanilla and a whole lot of malt. Just a little too sweet for me - not cloying though. Smooth mild mouthfeel, good carbonation. Love the can shape and design.