20 minutes of summertime passion
Written: Aug 07 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nice balance of caramel malt, sweet fruitiness and citric tang
Cons: A little more complexity may be asking for too much.
The Bottom Line: A nice refreshing summertime ale. Not the hoppiest or most complex version, but nicely balanced with a good dry bitter finish. IPA lovers should give it a try.
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| andaryl's Full Review: Pyramid India Pale Ale |
I was surprised when I first sat down to review this beer that the only brew from Pyramid I have reviewed so far is the Hefeweizen. I did drink their Apricot Ale a couple of years ago and I am a regular drinker of an ale that they brew under my restaurant’s name. With that in mind, as I usually do when I review a brewery’s beer for the first time, I have to start this one out with a little background information.
The Brewery
Pyramid started out in 1984 in the small town of Kalama, Washington. Pyramid is part of “Pyramid Breweries”, which also comprises Thomas Kemper. Together they brew over 20 different styles that are inspired by English ales and German wheat beers and lagers. To those who take in interest in the microbrew industry this is pretty typical of the styles chosen.
Their claim includes the first year round draft wheat beer made in America since Prohibition, Pyramid Wheaten Ale, although most people (at least in my experience of bar drinking) will be more familiar with their Hefeweizen.
Their beers are available in 28 states (note that this is dated information, 1995), although if you are ever in Seattle (near the baseball stadium) or Berkeley, you should check out their brewery alehouses there. I know I will.
Pyramid India Pale Ale
To quote the brewers:
“Pyramid IPA has the distinctively hoppy flavor and aroma craft beer enthusiasts demand. Abundant helpings of Columbus hops gives this ale an astonishing 67 IBU's - truly a beer for bold tastes!”
Celebrator Beer News named this brew "hophead nectar" (June/July issue, 1998).
Specifics
Original Gravity: 1.069
Alcohol By Volume: 6.7%
Malts: 2-Row Barley, Munich, Caramel, Carapils
Hops: Tomahawk
Bitterness: 67 IBU’s
Availability: Year Round
Tasting Notes
Pyramid IPA pours to a pale orangey amber color. The carbonation is more than adequate, while a generous silky white foam, although short-lived, is initially impressive.
The nose is very suggestive, with an upfront maltiness, definitely showing signs of caramel and slightly toasted. There’s also some fresh fruity citrus in there that makes me believe that this is going to be a refreshing brew. I also get an indication of the higher than usual alcohol content for this style.
There’s a slight fizzy carbonation in the mouthfeel, which is pretty light and easy drinking.
The initial flavors show a pleasantly sweet fruity malt, a mildly chewy caramel, and also signs of what I would best describe as passion fruit. It’s a little wine-ish in the middle, which is probably again a result of the higher alcohol. A nicely challenging citric lemony tang kicks in mid-palate, but not quite going as far as suggesting grapefruit as some IPA’s like to do. At the same time the malt does carry through well. It does finish out pretty dry and crisp with a fresh lemony tang persisting into the aftertaste, but the malt doesn’t really make it this far.
Verdict
I thought this one had a very interesting and refreshing balance of flavors; the wonderful lemony citric tang mingles well with the firmer fruity malt. The dryness was maybe a little too strong, but will certainly please some, and while there was a nice bitterness in the finish I felt that the hops could have had a little more character or complexity.
This wouldn’t be my first choice of IPA, I preferred Anderson Valley’s and Pike’s versions, but it was an extremely enjoyable brew nonetheless. If you like them dry and bitter, give it a try, it’s definitely a good summertime ale.
Food
Try any kind of grilled whitefish (even better if it’s spicy), gazpacho, bouillabaisse, charred steak or a citric salad. Would I lose a little respect if I mentioned that I drank mine with a hotdog?
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
andaryl
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Member: Andrew Smith
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