Pike Place IPA

Product Reviewed: Pike Place IPA
Brewed by: Pike Place Brewery; Seattle, WA
Reviewed By: David Brockington
Original Posted to Usenet: July 7, 1994

Initial Impressions:

Pike Place is, I think, my favorite microbrewery in Seattle. (The Big Time Brewpub also ranks with Pike Place, but as a Brewpub, it is technically a different beast). Hence, for better or worse, I have high expectations for a beer from Pike Place.

This IPA in question was sampled at the Herbfarm Microbrew Festival held in Fall City, WA on June 18th and 19th. Although Vince Cottone may debate the ability for one to properly review a beer at a festival such as this, I personally feel that the Fall City gig is formatted in such a manner as to allow an unobstructed analysis of a beer. I am not certain that the same could be said for the Oregon Brewers Festival, however.

I had the Pike Place IPA on the 19th. I found it to be on the darker side of pale in the glass, but far lighter in hue than their excellent Pale Ale, which is proudly copper in shade. The beer threw off a slight haze which dissipated as I allowed the beer to warm.

Nose:

The nose showcased a hoppy spiciness which was not overwhelming, yet certainly not restrained by any possible interpretation of the word. There was little or no malt evident in the nose.

Flavor:

Subtle is the first word I have written down in my notebook. This sensation is overtaken by a healthy degree of hop flavor, which then slides into a finish dominated by a mineral-like sensation, indicating that this beer has been heavily treated with a water hardener; I suspect gypsum or perhaps calcium carbonate, but not a formulation attempting to duplicate the water of the Burton basin. As this mineral sensation dies out in the finish, one can pick out a lingering hop bitterness.

Final Analysis:

A well-balanced IPA. While it was lighter on the hop bitterness than I personally would like to see, the interesting water treatment applied was able to supplant an aggressive alpha-acid profile to a degree. The flavor hopping worked out very nicely. Ultimately, though, I would like to see more bittering hops in an IPA, although I should say that this beer is a much more honest interpretation of the IPA style than that of Red Hook.

***1/2 (out of 5)

Next Up:

Fish Eye IPA
Harpoon IPA

David Brockington, Seattle, USA
bronyaur@u.washington.edu