I ran across this picture of a pair of beers I intended to review several weeks ago, but never finished writing the post. I'd review something other than IPAs, but that is what the microbreweries are pumping out most nowadays in the northwest. All aboard the hype train!
Bubble Stash IPA
Hop Valley Brewing Company is an Oregon brewery with locations in Eugene and Springfield. Their big brag on this brew is cryo hops. The result is 6.2 ABV, 45 IBU, and what I thought was an overpriced, bland beer which gave me no reason to try it again.
If your palate is used to Bud Light, this might be a good intro, but I didn't think it tasted like anything special. Of course, I make no claim to having a sophisticated palate, so I may be overlooking subtle complexities here, too.
Shake-A-Day IPA
Jumping straight over Idaho and into Montana, we have Big Sky Brewing Company in Missoula. Montana has a lot of gambling, and there are even regulations from the Secretary of State for Shake-A-Day gambling in bars. Basically, pay into the pot, roll the dice, and if you get the winning result, you win the pot.
I haven't hung out in Montana bars, but I rolled the dice on this beer, and I think it's a winner. I wouldn't say it's *great," but it's certainly not bad. 8.2% ABV is reasonably strong, and 62 IBU has enough herbal punch from the hops to balance the malt. I also like the specific hop blend used. The flavor is strong, but balanced, and that juiciness they advertise also comes through. It works for me.
If you have any suggestions for a non-IPA from Northwest microbreweries, or even odd items I may need to seek from specialty stores, let me know in the comments! Lager, porter, hefeweizen, lambic, etc. would be welcome changes.
