Trailway Brewing Co. Sultana’s of Swing – American Double / Imperial IPA at 7.5% ABV (Trade – thanks Norm!, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 28-Jul-2020, reviewed 29-Jul-2020)
Appearance: opaque pale gold with one finger of loose white head, short retention and minimal spotty lacing. (3/5) Aroma: pineapple, stone fruit, mild dank resiny pine, hint of oats, light vegetal. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (4/5)
Props for the Dire Straits reference (even if the citation isn’t anywhere near their best album or song – those would be Brothers in Arms and Love over Gold, respectively, and I’ll fight anyone who says differently) but you lose those points again for the improper punctuation: an apostrophe is used for contraction or possession, never pluralization. As far as the beer itself goes, it’s a bit rough around the edges and definitely not one of their best. This appears to be single-hopped with Sultana (a.k.a. X06277 a.k.a. Denali) and while I appreciate that in a “science project” kind of way, I’m not sure this hop has the breadth of character to pull it off. (Not to mention, I hate that name for a hop. Sultanas are raisins or grapes, FFS, and the hop has no such characteristics.) It’s not bad – and, after trying half a dozen of theirs now, I’m not sure they can do a bad beer – but it’s merely good, not great. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
