David Brockington's Tasting Notebook

Ballard Bitter IPA

Initial Impressions:

Ballard Bitter arguably established the Red Hook Ale Brewery upon its introduction in May of 1984. While Red Hook had been producing the original Ale for roughly two years, and had introduced Blackhook Porter the prior summer, the brewery had just started turning a profit. Neither the original Ale nor the Porter could be considered flagship products with broad market appeal as we understand the economics of a microbrewery today. The Ale was famously estery and had developed a strong 'love it or hate it' following, while the Porter was a rather unique and assertive offering by 1983 standards. With the arrival of Ballard Bitter, Red Hook now had a beer which was both distinctive (for its day) and approachable for the non-initiated. Sales took off. By 1988, Red Hook was moving out of Ballard and into the new Fremont brewery, due in large part to the success of Ballard Bitter (and the new Red Hook ESB, which edged the original Ale out of the product line in 1987).

By 1995, things have changed somewhat. The stronger and more interesting ESB has long since edged out Ballard Bitter as Red Hook's leading seller. Compared with the beers from newer breweries such as Pike Place or Rogue, Ballard Bitter garnered a reputation as a bland product. In a move which symbolizes how far the industry has come (in both the offerings of the breweries and the expectations of the educated consumer) Red Hook "reformulated" Ballard Bitter early this year. Generally when this industry reformulates something, the result is a blander product seemingly devised by marketers and accountants for stockholders and investors, not by brewers for beer enthusiasts. Thus, my surprise was duly noted when I heard that Red Hook was redesigning Ballard Bitter into an IPA, technically a more assertive beer.

Of course, Red Hook experimented with an IPA last summer as a "Blue Line" specialty offering. I considered the Blue Line IPA to be a stylistic failure in my review of the beer. Figuring I would take advantage of proximity, my roommate Marvin Crippen and myself went down to the Fremont district of Seattle and paid a visit to the Trolleyman Pub, attached to the Red Hook brewery in Fremont. The trolleyman serves only Red Hook products (as one would surmise) in a delightfully smoke-free environment. They generally have something special on tap, cask-conditioned and dry hopped. I consider a visit to the Trolleyman as the fairest site for a review of Red Hook beer.

The beer produced a crystal-clear pale hue in my pint glass. The head was average white, with decent retention properties as evidenced by the trail of lacework.

Nose:

The bouquet was slightly hoppy. Certainly more so than the prior incarnation of Ballard Bitter. A surprising citrusy aroma made itself present leading to speculation that Cascade or Centennial hops were used. The aroma also had a Fuggle-like note, which isn't surprising considering that Red Hook uses Willamette hops in several of their beers. No esters or other exciting aromas were present.

Flavor:

This beer was full-bodied; considerably fuller than the original Ballard Bitter. The profile was noted by a slight maltiness which merged into a equally slight hop flavor. This turned into a hop bitterness, which was not terribly assertive. The finish was a blend of the bitterness and flavor hops, which was concluded by a slight chalkiness from the water treatment. No diacetyl, crystal, or estery flavors were present. Overall, I would consider the flavor profile as "flat". Not flat as in undercarbonated, nor flat as in one-dimensional, but flat as in unexciting. The word "slight" turned up in my notes far more than it ought to have. The hop bitterness stands out to a limited degree.

Final Analysis:

As I am fond of saying, an IPA ought to be an assertive beer. At the very least, an IPA should have an aggressive hop bitterness. Flavor hops, crystal malts, etc. are optional, but I expect an assertive bitterness. This flavor certinaly is not for everybody, and fewer than half of those brewers which brew IPA produce a beer which earn the appellation "IPA". This beer qualifies, but by the narrowest of margins. The hop bitterness makes itself known just enough to be considered an IPA. This in and of itself is surprising from Red Hook, which has been resting on its laurels for far too long now. By bulking up Ballard Bitter, they are making a step in the right direction. Now, if they could produce some exciting Blue Line beers (most of which have been bland interpretations of style) and if they could revive the original Red Hook Ale, they could reclaim the distinction of being a dynamic brewery. Simply adding capacity and spreading throughout the country does not a dynamic brewery make. Capacity and geographic diffusion are hallmarks of Anheuser-Busch; experimentation and lineup of beers which exemplify style and push stylistic conventions ought to be a focus, if not the focus, of a craft brewery.

That being said, I think that the Ballard Bitter IPA is credible, but barely. I would choose to spend my IPA dollar elsewhere in the Seattle area, such as on Big Time's IPA, Pike Place IPA, or Leavenworth's IPA.

Rating: ***

(5-star scale)

Next Up:

I am emerging from an enforced period of thesis writing and comprehensive-exam taking. Both are now finished. Hence, the next couple of months ought to see a flurry of new reviews, including:

Whidbey Island Stout
Blue Ridge Porter
Blue Ridge Amber Lager
Pyramid Anniversary Barleywine
Big Time Old Wooly 1994
1995 Sierra Nevada Big Foot
Abita Amber Lager
Abita Bock
Wharf Rat Special Bitter
Red Hook Blue Line Barleywine

Copyright 1995 by David Brockington, all rights reserved.
Seattle

Comments? Fire off some email:

dbrock@u.washington.edu
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