Phillips Brewing Company Third Blind Mouse Triple IPA American Double / Imperial IPA at 10.2% ABV (C$5.81 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)
Pours clear pale gold (some particulate on the second pour) with three fingers of fluffy white head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, moderate lacing. (3/5) Nose is big citrus,, light herbal and pale malt. (7/10) Taste is moderate sweet, strong bitter. (7/10) Medium to full body, moderate to low carbonation, oily texture, lingering bitter finish. (4/5)
Now, now Phillips, shame on you – you’re just making shit up now: there’s no such thing as a “Triple IPA”. That said, yes, this is a big, hugely bitter beast of a brew – but that’s already covered off by the “imperial” designation. What’s next? “Quadruple” IPA? “Quintuple”? Are IPA’s the brewing equivalent of Gillette razors these days – “more is better”? Gotta say, though, for a double digit ABV, this thing is pretty drinkable: the 100+ IBU completely masks any booziness one might expect, except for a little alcohol sweetness on the finish. It’s a little one-dimensional, but not bad overall. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
