Knee Deep Brewing Company Hoptologist Double IPA

Hello beer lovers, happy SF Beer Week and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Knee Deep Brewing Company Hoptologist Double IPA, a gold medal winner at the 12th Annual Double IPA Festival, held at The Bistro in Hayward, CA on February 11th 2012. I had this bottle sitting in my beer fridge waiting to try it so after I saw the results I thought I better get this beer poured!  Last year I went to the 11th Annual Double IPA Festival, but I’m not sure I’m allowed to go again (my wife had to put her foot down).  That’s OK; I got to drink this gold medal winner at home.

From the Knee Deep Brewing Company website:” Hoptologist Double India Pale Ale. An American Double India Pale Ale that packs a punch when it comes to hops.  The aroma and flavors will give you citrus and pine with a slight malt sweetness that finishes dry.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a clear orange amber with a nice white head and great lacing.

Aroma: Nice and hoppy with strong tropical fruit notes, citrus and pine.  Biscuit and caramel malts are present, but take a back seat to the hops.

Taste: What first hits me is the sweetness of the malts, but that is quickly followed by an enjoyable hop bitterness.  Citrus and tropical fruits linger.  Good stuff!

Overall: An enjoyable DIPA, Knee Deep Brewing Company’s Hoptologist Double IPA is a beer I’ll keep in the beer fridge for sure. Since it beat out Pliny the Elder AND Ruination I’m thinking I need to go find this on tap.  The bottled version is very good, but to beat out Pliny it must be epic on tap.  At 9% ABV this is a beer I could enjoy a couple bombers of – the alcohol is very well disguised.  Go pick some up!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey