Classic IPA
Matchwood Brewing Company

a very well made, and very classically styled northwestern ipa here, but also a rather boring one as they go, and good execution is not enough to make this stand out in any way. perhaps the name should have tipped me off that this would be such a familiar brew, malty and fuller bodied with piney high alpha woodsy hops, nothing at all to make it stand out, but a pleasant drink. i thought all the beers we had here were quite professionally made, but this one just seems too safe, modeled on a million others that have come before it, and failing to go anywhere new or exciting. the spiciness of the cascade is nice against the toasted malts in here, and there is a little bit of hop oily stickiness that works well with the richer grain base too, nice balance, fresh as can be, mineral laden in the finish, and very clean on the ferment, everything i want in a beer like this, but nothing to tall me it came from matchwood, this could have been done by almost any brewery in the northwest (or beyond), and drinks very samey to me, much as i enjoyed it. they did have some more ambitious and unique beers on tap in their gorgeous brewery space, but this wasnt one of them. solid ipa though, just unexciting and even forgettable...