Third Fiddle Chinook IPA
West Sixth Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

Brewers often can't help themselves- throwing a little of this, and a little of that in the recipe in hopes of attaining the much wanted complexity to set them apart. But in doing so, they can't get out of their own way. But the use of single-source hops is a great way of getting back to basics and offering distinct and identifiable flavors that are friendly to the palate- in the most unique of ways.

And that's what Third Fiddle achieves as the unmistakable character of Chinook hops play on the nose; bringing the earthy, dirty and pungent rawness to the white grapefruit, orange and stemmy herb components. But to taste, its all about the caramel malts, their toasty, bready notions and slight graininess that give the balance a malty tilt early on the palate.

But as the malt sweetness and toasty grain nuances fade, the hops grow into sharp citrusy taste. Fueled by the dry and bitter taste of grapefruit and orange rind, the fruit soon develops into a deeply resinous taste nearing the finish. Pinecone, freshly shaven wood and a sappy bitterness concludes the crisp and earthy taste.

Underneath the creamy foam and amber hues lie a medium-bodied beer with a crisp and refreshing finish. It foregoes any clean character because of the rustic and wily Chinook hops that hark to some of the more common flavors of America's craft brewing early IPA.