Alley Kat Brewing Co. Houndstooth Dragon American IPA at 7.5% ABV | 75+ IBU (C$8.89 at Solo Liquor Okotoks, 650 ml, best before 3-Dec-2019, acquired 27-Jul-2019, reviewed 28-Jul-2019)
Appearance: clear deep gold with two fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: caramel, resiny pine, tropical fruit, grass. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, building and lingering bitter finish. (4/5)
I was thinking it might be time to put a bullet in this idea, seeing how Houndstooth isn’t even a colour, but then I read their justification: instead of being single-hopped, as is usual for this series, they used the hops from the two immediate predecessors, Ivory (Vic Secret) and Ebony (Denali). Interesting idea, except – and there isn’t really any polite way to put this – those two were among my least favourites from the series. In fact, both had very little of the character I normally associate with their respective hops. This one’s not quite as lacking in character, but it’s not far off. Although I get a fair bit of resiny pine up front, and some tropical fruit in the finish, it’s still pretty malt-heavy. Not a pitch on, say, Sapphire, Periwinkle, or Evergreen. (And, just to be pedantic, ebony and ivory don’t make houndstooth, they make a piano.) (13/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
