Double Dry Hopped Losing Control
Highland Park Brewery

Straight pour from a 32oz crowler, filled two days ago at the brewery in Chinatown, to a teku (Highland Park black cat teku, as a matter of fact!)

Appearance (3.5): This pours out two full fingers of off-white, slightly grayish colored foam, capping a murky, pale yellow-tan body. I’m not gonna lie, the initial impression isn’t the most appetizing. However, the head dies down slowly, leaving a tight web of foamy lacing that resembles tripe, in a weird way. That head, and its retention, are wonderful—and serve to make the body show up in a slightly more favorable light.

Smell (4.5): A big, boisterous bouquet of underripe champagne mango, navel orange flesh, that funky musk of some dead-ripe papaya flesh, and … almost a minty, herbal character dominate the nose. They conspire to mask an unmalted grain aroma that feels like white wheat corns, rolled oats, and common crackers mixed with just a hint of darker grain, like rye. I love this mix of ripe tropical fruit and rustic whole grains. No booze detected.

Taste (4.5): Following the nose, a quick, soft hit of juicy tropical smoothie gallivants across the palate before giving way to a more pressing, assertive bitterness borne of yellow grapefruit pith and Seville orange flesh. It’s mixed with, weirdly, something resembling kumquats muddled in triple sec—but with less booze. An unexpected berry sweetness—huckleberry, black raspberry, and maybe a touch of gooseberry for good, tart measure—drops in unannounced, offering a mixture of tart, seasonal sweetness blended with twangy tannins. It then opens up into an equally unexpected, equally delightful, earthy malt/grain body that shows soft, floury biscuit crusts, dumplings, and a subtle spice drawn out by the rougher edges of the hop bitterness. Meanwhile, there’s no sign of booze anywhere here. As noted above, the hops do have a slightly biting, rough edge, but that character blends nicely with the mixture of berry tannins and grapefruit pith that anchor the hop character in the mid-palate.

Mouthfeel (4.0): DDH (D)IPAs tend to sacrifice a little in feel, and this beer is no exception. That said, the body is fluffy and soft, rolling in on the back of soft, feathery carbonation that tingles nicely on all surfaces and elevates the soft, juicy feel of the beer’s medium-weight body. It allows it to feel fuller than it really is, before backing down into a lean, quaffable feel. Even so, the assertively drying hop bitterness and subtle high-octane feel naturally encourage you to slow down a little bit, which I personally believe is to your benefit. It may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes you don’t want a beer like this to be TOO drinkable.

Overall (4.25): Extremely Northeastern in style, without sacrificing a satisfyingly sturdy bitterness, this beer oozes “DDH,” but not to its detriment. It’s deeply drinkable, but retains its teeth and is happy to remind you who’s boss if you come on too strong. It’s got plenty of character in the nose and on the palate, but in both areas, it quietly throws you curveballs here and there (almost certainly thanks to the extra dry-hopping). All around, it’s a very strong beer that opts for a little more bombast and style than balance and technical perfection. Hoppy beers like this aren’t necessarily the absolute best in the field, but sometimes they’re the most memorable and the most fun to drink—and it’s in that regard, that I think this beer shines. Highly recommended.