Valkyrie

Double IPA | Year-Round | United States

By Tom Cannon

Judges Rating: 87
Aroma: 21
Appearance: 5
Flavor: 36
Mouthfeel: 8
Overall Impression: 17

There’s been some discussion on what the difference is between East Coast and West Coast IPAs, and it seems to be the balance between malt and hops in the East Coast versions and the hop dominance in the West Coast examples. This Double IPA follows much more closely to the East Coast Version. It’s got a resiny, woody hop aroma, which is backed by a nice toasty malt component. The beer is a very clear, dark gold/light copper and the flavor carries through with the toasted malt combined with a serious hop presence that almost seems slightly sprucey. The balance between the caramel malt and earthy hops is what really distinguishes this beer. It is big, but the integration of hop and malt flavors works, and also serves as a nice vehicle for the alcohol in this Double IPA.