SMASH IPA - Sorachi Ace
Blackwater Draw Brewing Company

on-tap/growler poured into tulip (beer has been in growler in the fridge about 20 hours)

L: garnet ... amber/orange, crystal clear ... brilliant-looking with thick, fluffy head of tan foam that lingers and sticks on top; some lacing but not a ton

S: toasted vanilla, toasted smores ... super sweet and malty mellow; butter; can detect nothing bitter in the nose, perhaps hints of lemon, citrus, orange and even grass (?) but I mean the faintest of hints -- the nose is mostly campfire smores minus the campfire, very sweet

T: bitter ... REALLY bitter, but also very sweet toffee, marshmallow, toasted smores, vanilla, peanut brittle ... but that bitter is all over your palate, up front, middle and a lingering aftertaste; crushed flower petals or like a cucumber skin best describes the kind of bitter;

F: solid but perhaps losing a bit of carbonation in the growler; it’s very light and the bitter makes it feel very dry; it started off with a ton of carbonation, so i’m chalking up the softer feel to time spent in the growler

O: Blackwater Draw is experimenting with the SmaSh IPAs, trying different single-malt/single-hop combinations, and this mix of Vienna malt with the sorachi ace hop is crazy. it’s super sweet, a bit toasted and BITTER, and the mix is one of a kind. i’ve not had anything like this, and it’s hard to compare it ... it’s a little like a super bitter doppelbock yet isn’t what I’d call “fruity”. it’s got the bitter of an IPA, but the marshmallow thing is undeniable; i mean, this thing is sweet. it’s the only IPA in which I’ve honestly tasted malt. it’s so unique it tastes like what I imagine a homebrew concoction might taste like, and for that, I tip my tankard to BWD. very cool brew, fellas!