Sierra Nevada: Dual Torpedo IPA (USA: IIPA: 8.2% ABV)
Visual: Slightly darkened apricot gold. Clear body. Smallish off white head that leaves suds. Some small bubbled carbonation.
Nose: Crushed hard fruit sweets. Key lime cheesecake. Soft creamy lime. Light hop oils. Soft hop bitterness. Touch of gunpowder tea. Bready bitterness. Cake sponge.
Body: Solid bitterness. Light charring. Moderate resinous character. Marmalade. Banana soft sweets. Tart grapefruit. Bready hop character. Fruity hard sweets. Oily bitterness. Hop oils. Toffee malt body.
Finish: Resinous. Oily bitterness. Hop oils. Lightly peppery. Hard fruit sweets. Apricot fruit sugars. Blueberry hard sweets. Toffee. Apple hard sweets. Tart pink grapefruit. Smokey soot hops.
Conclusion: Ok, it is no secret I am a big fan of Torpedo IPA and its variants. Some more than others, but generally a fan. So, there is good odds I’m going to enjoy this, but the big question is, how much?
Well, it has the things I like in it. Good bitterness, resinous, oily hops. Comparatively gently delivered here, not a dry base high hops west coast blast, but a soothing oily hop character and soft toffee malt backing it.
So, there is present malt sweetness, nice bitterness, good oiliness and resinous hop character, what makes this stand out from the other Torpedo IPAs? Well, mainly an unusual oddly artificial sweet touch.
There is a general mix of crushed fruit hard sweets, occasionally specific fruits, but generally just a mix of the general impression of fruit hard sweets. There is a more expected tart grapefruit behind it, but the main stand out is this unexpected artificial fruit sweets style, which really pops out against the bitter hops.
I wasn’t sure if I liked it the first time around. It seemed kind of out of place. Revisiting it, it doesn’t seem as overwhelming a note this time, and I find it more interesting and different. It still is not one I want in my regular IPA playlist, but can drop in occasionally as a break from the norm. Close enough to be familiar, different enough to be exciting.
Not the best Torpedo IPA, but earns its place.
Background: Yeah, as I mentioned I love the various Torpedo IPAs and Independent Spirit has had a nice chunk of them in so the issue is just deciding which ones to do notes on. Generally it just comes down to what is in the fridge when I am in the mood to do notes than anything more specific.
This one is made with a “double dose of hops” or “Blasted” to be precise on what the website says. So, double dry hopped, to be less purple prose. Website also says 45 IBU, made with CTZ, Idaho 7 and Simcoe hops. Of them CTZ I am not hugely familiar with but googling says “CTZ however is not a specific hop, but instead a name given to a trio of similar hops.” and the three hops are “Columbus Tomahawk and Zeus “. So I have learned something – seems to be a big bittering hop. Anyway, went with Faithless; No Roots as backing music, had seen Faithless live recently, and “Mass Destruction” was very much a song on my mind, as always RIP Maxi Jazz.
