Three Ranges Brewing Co. Sidehill Gouger American Double / Imperial IPA at 8% ABV (C$2.79 at Collective, 355 ml, packaged on 13-Nov-2018, acquired 15-Jan-2019, reviewed 18-Jan-2019)
Appearance: hazy pale amber with one fat finger of rocky pale ivory head, good retention and minimal lacing. (3/5) Aroma: bready caramel, pine, citrus, floral. (7/10) Taste: high sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly oily body, soft carbonation, sticky lingering building bitter finish. (4/5)
Total old skool, big caramel barely compensating for even bigger bitter (I’m guessing 80+ IBU, but can’t find a solid reference). No surprises with the hop selection: all the old starts-with-C usual suspects (Ca, Ce, and Ch – I shouldn’t need to add any more letters there, should I?). Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing, but it means this is very much what it is: a recipe from several years ago. If that’s your thing, have at it. Me, I’m more of an “onward and upward” kind of guy. No big complaints here, but not one I’ll go back to. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
