Alehouse IPA
Sockeye Grill & Brewery

 

a collaboration with bittercreek downtown, an only lightly hazy ipa featuring strata and idaho 7 hops, a nice summery drinker, full of flavor and easier drinking than some of the heavier denser hazy types, i enjoyed this fresh on tap at the brewery, which remains a sort of hidden gem here. i immediately like how little malt character there is for this, its not just dry like a lot of the hazy ones, its without a ton of flavor or body either, no oaty starchy heft, no wheaty earthiness, its clean, almost pils-esque on the grain side, at least in some part, a nice way to keep the malt out of the way in favor of these hops, which are juicy and weedy here to me, fleshy orange, nectarine, and light green onion, along with pine and good hash, there is a dank side to this behind the fruit that comes out more as it warms, a nice showcase of how these two hop varietals pair together, low bitterness but not none. this is flavorful and drinkable at the same time, absurdly fresh, and while short of being radically unique or anything, i like the proportions a lot, and this seems a little more modern than a lot of the other hoppy stuff sockeye puts out. nice carbonation, clean ferment, appealing fruity hop linger with a pear and stone fruit vibe after each sip, great with the onion rings in here. quality.

12oz can from Boise Co-op. Dark golden pour, cloudy, adequate foamy head. Aroma is earthy hops, herbaceous, light caramel. Taste is more of the fragrant, weedy hops and a solid malt profile. Average.

12oz canned recently poured into a tumbler from the brewery. Pours a beautiful chill-hazed pale bordering on straw-gold, with a large fluffy white head. This one seems to lean into some earthy, resiny, lemon-lime hops, faintly fruity and tropical and dank, with some nice bitterness that lets you know its there. Light bodied and crushable, this one was tasty.