Dr. Strangehop XPA
Desert Dogs Brewery and Cidery Taproom

 

just an ipa here, a pretty good one, but im not sure why they call it xpa, which i thought means extra pale ale, which this isnt, or perhaps experimental, but it doesnt really seem like thats what it is either, but its a solid pint of beer, not quite as compelling as their porter, but im not complaining. its orange tinted, unfiltered looking anyway, holds almost an inch of white head from the tap, and has ample carbonation that stays the whole pint, fuller bodied and maybe a little less refined than it could be, but the hop profile is nice. i get canned pineapple, muddled herbs, and mango in the nose, pretty solid grain backing, sweet a little bit, light toast and cereal character, supports the juicy hops well, and this is balanced despite appearing quite bitter out of the gate, a little bit of alcohol is there as well, especially as it warms up, and not quite a neutral ferment which i cant quite decide if its intentional or not. the flavor is tropical too and there is consistent sweetness here, malty in places but the hops do start early as well, would love to know what varietals are at work in this, its citrusy but not totally familiar, and there is a peachy aspect that comes out more as it warms, a little honey note, and just a slight zizzle of soapiness, perhaps from the ferment, maybe a little warmer than ideal, but its not out of place with the high tone hop notes, and the bitterness on the swallow washes over most of that anyway. fuller feeling even before the strength is considered, so this probably isnt an all night beer for me, but my wife and i enjoyed a pint while we played that washer on a hook game over in the back corner of the bar, and that felt like a nice dose as a nightcap. cool spot, decent brews, chill vibes. curious to know a bit more about this one...