In today’s hop-crazed world of beer, everyone’s got an IPA. Not everyone has Humulo Nimbus, however.
This double IPA from Sound Brewery of Poulsbo, Washington (State) is nothing short of extraordinary and deserving of a higher rating than 89 on Beer Advocate.
My brother, who bought this brew and shipped it to me from Seattle, was told at his bottle shop that several of the staff preferred this over Pliny the Elder. High praise, indeed.
But it’s well-earned. Humulo Nimbus is like a Caribbean vacation in a bottle. While an initial smell suggests caramel and buttered bread up front, that is quickly shoved aside as fruit aromas wafted out of my glass. Papaya, mango, peach, pineapple … you name the tropical fruit and it paid a visit. The sweetness of this brew is off the charts for an IPA. I’d dare say it’s comparable to HopSlam (which uses honey), although without the intense pine of that beer.
Thick.
The mouthfeel of this beer is absurd. It’s thick, but not chewy. It reminded me a bit of creamy, tropical yogurt in its texture. It slid over my palate and filled it with tastes of sweet, tropical bubble gum. Mango and grapefruit took the lead here, although some floral hop notes paid a visit.
Contrary to most double IPAs you might find, the aggressive hop use in this beer only ends up adding more depth instead of layers of bitterness. There isn’t a drop of bitterness to be found in this beer, unless you let a gulp settle on your tongue for 10 seconds or so. Even then, it’s a minor annoyance to get back to all the other wonderful aspects of Humulo Nimbus.
Humulo Nimbus stats:
- ABV: 8.5 percent
- Brewery: Sound Brewery of Poulsbo, Washington
+Bryan Roth
“Don’t drink to get drunk. Drink to enjoy life.” — Jack Kerouac
