Red Flag Double IPA
Rip Current Brewing

April 18th, 2015 - Another hoppy brew from Rip Current, marking a pattern where it seems this brewery can do no wrong in this swath of styles. A murkier beer this time with a modest head and a dark, foxy orange-brown color, the smell is packed with passion fruit and a milder bitterness, peeking out from behind the yeast's fruit yield. It's mild for a double IPA in the flavor, with a nice hoppy note resonating throughout like a bell, but the flavors are maltier and more "red" than expected. By that I mean more notes of mesquite honey, wood and cinnamon. It is still very much a double IPA, but with a flavor profile that fits more with Fall than Spring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My perfect double India pale ale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On tap on the fair beaches of San Diego.; into a pint glass.
Appearance - orange with a syrup/honey hue. Decent white head and lacing.
Smell - hop forward indeed, but didn't knock my socks off...
Taste - a bit disappointing (though I admit to having this after a Green Flash Palate Wrecker)! One sided, bland (relatively speaking) with little to no complexity.
Feel - love the aggressive bitterness, but would be great with some creativity/complexity.
Overall - decent west coast DIPA, but much better options.