Alley Kat Brewing Co. Sapphire Dragon American Double / Imperial IPA at 7.5% ABV | 75+ IBU (C$6.36 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 650 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 13-Dec-2017, reviewed 13-Dec-2017)
Appearance: clear pale amber with two fat fingers (and growing) of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and sticky, soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: citrus, bready caramel, pine, black tea. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter finish. (4/5)
Yup, Alley Kat is managing to continue their Dragon Series. (I think they’re going to need the big box of Crayolas for colour name inspiration pretty soon. I know for a fact they’re offering beer for ideas at this point.) This one is single-hopped with Idaho 7, and what’s even better than a new beer? Why, a new hop, of course! OK, OK, it’s not new new, but it’s new-ish. And at 12%+ alpha acid, it’s my kind of beast. (And hey, look at that: IBU = 10 x ABV. I think we need to make it a rule going forward, that all beers have to obey this rule – or at least all Pales. It’s like the Reinheitsgebot, but for bittering. So… the Reinheitsgebitter?) It’s an interesting hop, exhibiting a wide complexity including citrus, pine, and black tea character. It’s not a slam-dunk like Mosaic or Nelson Sauvin, but it gets the job done: I think this might be the best of the roughly ten Dragons I’ve tried. (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
