White Knuckle Double IPA
Marin Brewing Company

Pours a deep amber with red hues to it, steady carbonation. Clear and glowing. A big thick white head caps it off and leaves sticky spots of lacing all over the glass.

Smells yummy...like exactly how I want my IIPA to smell. Raw, juicy hops! Candied citrusy scents. Undeniable freshness like some funky greenery, you could smell it even in my pocket type thing.

Taste continues in the same fashion. Right up front is this pure hop juice, kind of resinous and in your face but it's heaven and something I haven't quite experienced yet. A little sweetness combined with the citrus flavors comes after, again like candied citrus. The sweet center carries out into a fresh and excellent hoppy bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is nice and tingly on the tongue, great bitterness. Not so sryupy thick like some get but the freshness and pure hop juice does add a resinous, oily effect.

Shit, damn, mutha fucka! This is a sneaker right here. Not as well known as the "top of the line" products in its class but to me better than all of them. I'm giving this my first perfect score. It's everything I could hope for and then some. Maybe it's not big and bold enough for other folks but this is what a IIPA should be for me. Pure hop glory at its finest.

I will be seeking this out again...now! Pure Hoppiness, Yulesmith, Pliny, I have tried you all and this may have just been the nemesis. So...hard...to do...first 5.

Huge thanks to flexabull for providing this brew that ended up above and beyond my expectations, which I might say were high to begin with.

 

So I've had this beer a good approximate 10 times, yet have never reviewed. Let's gitrdun.

Nice orange appearance and a hefty 2/3" white head with surprising retention given all the hop oils going on. Has a bunch of C hop grapefruit bitterness notes in the nose and a bit of that malty caramel/crystal thing going for it.

Taste, much of the same, you get a gripload of hop bitterness throughout. These guys are the kings of 90s recipes in the area. There is a relatively hefty sticky thick presence of malt on this one. And of course, its got the kind of hops that amp up that quality. Its pretty close to palate wrecky. They describe it in the commercial tugjob as twice the malt and twice the hops, and for damn sure that is what it is. The popular dipas don't really double the malt though, but hey, if you wanted one like that, here it is. Its got a big alcohol kick, but not in the problematic way, just in the shot across the bow way.

 

 

 

Got this on sale presumably because its past date/ stored at room temp most its life.

Poured dark orange and caramel/copper with decent lacing. Smell of yeasty biscuits, sweet spice and floral hops. Toffee, grapefruit citrus zest with a resiny astringency. Dark, deep booze notes, borderline too hot, nearly a malt liquor. A good winter dipa.

This is what I imagine the british sailors and spice traders were getting pints of originally.

Delicious IPA, Pours a light yellow with a think white head that stayed through the whole beer.
Nice hoppy aroma that filled up the room it seemed like. Repeat drinker for sure.

 

 

 

 

On tap at Marin Brewing Company in Larkspur, CA.

Pours a clear dark orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. A foamy curtain of lace coats the glass on the drink down. Smell is of candied citrus zest, grapefruit juice, and tropical fruit aromas. Taste is much the same with candied citrus zest, orange marmalade, and earthy hop on the finish. There is a mild amount of bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and sticky mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with lots of citrus forward hop characteristics all around.

Serving type: on tap.

Pours two fingers of head on a hazy dark straw body.
The aroma is huge pine resin, ripe grapefruit and lemon.
The taste is big pine and grapefruit bitterness throughout, but with a dose of malt to keep it fairly sweet too.
The texture is thick and chewy.
It's a big one.

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a golden ash with cloudy lacing. The fruity notes are overtaken by the ever present ABV balanced with bitter hop flavor. I like it.