Idaho Potato Ale (IPA)
Bear Island Brewing Company

 

 

On-tap in Nampa ID, served in a shaped glass; attractive, chill-hazed golden pour with a fluffy head that has some staying power and laces the glass very well; hoppy citrus and pine with a bready malt backbone, fairly traditional to the NWIPA-style. Creamy and smooth finish with low bitterness, just easy drinking all around.

 

22 oz bottle from Winco. Smells delightfully hoppy. Makes me excited to take another drink after the current has escaped down my gullet. Easy feel with expected hop flavor and slight bitterness at the end. This Spuds for you!

props to these guys for doing something different in a style that is trending more and more samey, and for actually using potato, a particularly idaho ingredient! a reddish colored brew, done with russet potatoes, and hopped mostly or entirely with mosaic. its a neat recipe, and i think the execution is pretty good. i like it having some malt richness to it, and while i dont really taste potato, they seem to add some starch or protein body to this that is appreciable, and i like that. the hops are the right mix of fruity and bitter, with notes of orange, cooked pineapple, and fresh mowed lawn, giving the beer a real springy freshness, even though its a bit more hearty than most. it has great refinement, is clear in appearance and pretty dry in flavor, with moderate bitterness and a pretty layered flavor really, even if its hard to specifically appreciate the potato in it. i assume its added to the mash, but really i have no idea. fun beer, a little less compelling than their potato tripel, but its a good drinker and definitely unique. very cool!

edit: they may have some occasional quality issues around town with this one, sometimes it appears hazy and flat, less refined and carefully done, and lately the hops have not popped in here like they did back in the day. not sure if the recipe has changed or if ive just had a couple of lackluster experiences with this, but i am not quite as high on it as i used to be...

Picked this up when I was in the Gem State over the summer, finally getting around to it on this mild and quietly rainy fall night. Loved the name and label, as well as the fact that the IPA was a play on words - given that there were Russet Potatoes involved in the concoction of this beer. This was certainly balanced and had enough body to it but this could have come across as just a bit stronger to be truly considered as an *India* Pale Ale...

Interesting pour to this as the liquid was dark enough to give me the impression that this was an Irish Red Ale as the head was nearly perfect and the lacing was quite full along the top and bottom portions of my pint glass. Lots of potato, starch, and pee in the muted nose with more of those coming through in the taste. Amber in hue with plenty of sediment in it, the body was quite full as this reminded me of something like Yuengling, or Smithwick's as there was a bready malt underneath everything with a cloying mouthfeel to it. Lots of sour dough, bitter champagne, and European grassiness to go along with the full taste and recessed alcohol as this was quite chewy once the liquid fully went down...

Not strong or weak, this was as perfect as an IPA got when it came to it's potency. Hard to find the hops here but if you could get past the lack of discernible bitterness, this wasn't that bad a beer. Different, unique, and truly Idaho, I'm glad I gave it a go as it showcased those famous potatoes in an entirely new manner. Would love to try the fresh hop version of this!

 

Also known as Idaho Potato Ale (IPA). A bit milder than the norm for the Nw, but still pretty tasty, and refreshing. Nice amber hue with small frothy head. Mild hops bitterness and clean finish.