Bludgeon Double IPA
Hidden Cove Brewing Co.

 

 

 

HIDDEN COVE BLUDGEON DIPA 5/21/18

Sample at the brewery after buying a single at Tully's.

a: Nearly clear amber with a finger thick white head which receded to thin surface foam and patchy lacing.

s: Bready malt and light citrus/pine.

t: Buttery bread with moderate bitterness. Dry finish with some light fruit notes.

m: Slick medium with very good body and some carbonation tingle.

o: Liking this better than the sample, which somehow did not convey the pleasing mouthfeel. Not quite the "tropical citrus" vehicle it was advertised as, but an enjoyable DIPA with the high ABV well covered until later when some throat burn develops.

 

 

Portland on Tap

 

 

 

PKG on 1/8/18 opened on 2/11/18

A burnt amber color, brown highlights, murky liquid. Bubbly and dense, creamy foam cover. 2" high, very slow to recede. A bit of lacing.

Very fruity, minty scented hops pop right out. Pineaaple and orange and spice. Dank scented hops with a big spice kick in the nose. More of a malty style aroma than the New England style has. It's got that maltier, rich-amber effect going on. Pretty bold nose.

Smokey caramel and big dry earthy hops hit your palate first in both mouthfeel and flavor. The malty tones lead to a medium to full bodied feel, with heavy layers of earthy-leafy, and grainy malt effects. They keep eachother in check , as both the malt charecter and high-alpha style hops blend together. Eventhough the malt flavor is slightly bigger than any of the lighter malted New England style's, the body and effect is still pretty juicy, the hops dry kick soon becomes a bit juicy and fruity toward the end. A bitter, leafy and practically sour hop kick finishes it off. I'm beginning to realize this is a very well roundee DIPA with a bit of West coast and East coast stylings. The "almost" 9 % abv adds a heat tingle and boozy aspect which combined with higher alpha, bitter hops equals a very "in your face" approach.

Bludgeon is a very appropriate name for this DIPA.

 

 

 

L - Semi-Hazy copper with 2 finger off-white head. Decent lacing throughout.
S - Citrus rind and bready malt.
T - Followed the nose. Not a lot of hop presence.
F - Medium body feel. Fairly smooth with a bit of sticky mouthfeel.
O - Pretty decent beer, overall. Packs a decent punch, too.

16oz undated can. Pours clear copper with a chill haze and a full, fluffy head. Nice lacing with decent retention. Aromatics lead off with a mix of pine and citrus. The hops are a bit subdued for the style but a nice mix of orange, earth, and malt. Medium bodied with a chewy, tacky mouthfeel. The palate features a balance of malt, pine, citrus, and bitterness. Finishes a bit sweet with a lingering, piney bitterness and chewy malt.

Fairly decent old-school west coast rendition but needs more hops in the nose.

Poured into a 16 oz KBS Snulip glass, not sure when it was canned but recent the last 3 weeks. Pours a cloudy dark orange with a massive 2 plus finger sticky white head, that leaves a wall of lace as it slowly settles into a thin layer and ring of bubbles around the sides of the glass.

Smell is apricot, papaya, tangerine, hard orange candy, pine, and grapefruit rind.

Taste follows apricot, papaya, tangerine, pine, and grapefruit.

Mouthfeel is about large, with plenty of life, maybe a little dry, and drinks easy enough for its size.

Overall this is a very nice NEDIPA, that is is pretty darn chewy and surprisingly approachable. Well done.