and Speakeasy most certainly fits the bill; my friend Bill and I visited the brewery on a similar jaunt several years back, and the restaurant we hit after arriving—the Royal Exchange on Sacramento—had Big Daddy IPA on task. Consider my speculations and concerns resolved. Oh, and need I remind all you out there in TV land that Speakeasy is located in San Francisco, CA? I didn’t think so...Big Daddy IPA has a grassy, piney, and spicy hop nose with malt sweetness and caramel hidden away under the hops. Flavors begin with sweet malt and caramel, quickly moving into a bitter middle with good hop flavor—spicy, piney, and some resin flavors all mingling with the bitterness. The finish is relatively clean with some lingering bitterness;
the bite from the carbonation helps dry and round the flavors to smooth out the beer on the palate. Big Daddy IPA has a medium body with medium carbonation; while there is some slight puckering from the hosp on the tongue, the fresh hop flavors do mitigate some of the bitterness. Overall, a good beer—enjoyable, well-balanced between the caramel sweetness, and very very American.From the Speakeasy website: “No lightweight, Big Daddy IPA tips the scales with a huge hop flavor and a clean, dry finish that leaves the scene without a trace.”
ABV: 6.5%
Bill and I also wandered down to City Beer after dinner; among the many gems that we sampled during the course of the evening, the Lagunitas Lil’ Sumpin’ Wild IPA stood out. Bretty yummy goodness. We just missed getting the Dogfish Head/Victory/Stone Saison du Buff “collabo” on tap. Stupid other beer nerds...
(5/26/2010)
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