The Midnight Sun's Sockeye Red IPA is a very nice, well rounded IPA. The Sockeye is a bit daintier IPA than the Melt Down DIPA. When first cracked open the beer has a sweet smell, opening your senses to the soon to be experienced flavors of this IPA. This IPA weighs in at 5.7 ABV and 70 IBU's. These are weaker numbers than I usually enjoy, but the Sockeye makes up for it in the overall experience.

Like most IPAs the start of this beer is very floral and ends with a smooth, residual bitter taste to finish. The main reason that I like this beer is because the bitter taste does not overwhelm what you are eating. I had this IPA twice in my visit to Anchorage and once back here in Japan. I enjoyed this beer with a soup and sandwich first, a burger second, and with fish the last meal. Not once did I take a sip of the Sockeye, then a bite and have the bitterness from the beer dominate.

Most of the beers that I love wind up being a fuller, heavier IPA. This one is lighter than some, but should not be taken lightly. I give the Sockeye Red IPA a 2 on the EGS. Midnight Sun Brewery has a good thing going here. Keep this one as a year-round!



Go Drink an IPA!!!!

Over a couple of nights last week I polished off the fantastic Ninkasi DIPA and IPA.

The Total Domination IPA is my favorite of the two, it has more of a traditional northwestern IPA taste, which is my style. It being called TD I was not sure if it was going to be a total let down, but Ninkasi came through. At 6.7% ABV and 65 IBU's the TD has a nice floral start with a smooth hoppy finish. The TD combines three taste hops Summit, Amarillo and Crystal with a pair of malts that don't distract from the aromatic hoppiness. I have had this beer with both a spicy coconut curry and a burger and I give this one a 2 on the EGS.

The Tricerahops Double IPA is a more full, robust IPA. Not in terms of hoppiness but more of a stout or heavier bodied DIPA. This seems to be attributable to its three different malts. This beer has an ABV of 8.8% and 100 IBU's. On their website Ninkasi says this beer is earthy, I will totally agree with this and then some. This is a heavier DIPA than I'm accustomed to. I give it a 3 on the EGS. My buddy who favors Belgian beers loved this one and says he will drink it again should he find another.


In my time drinking IPAs I generally categorize them as 1,2, or 3 on the EGS (Eddie Gianelloni Scale). This is in terms of their repurchase-ability. 1 meaning that I go straight in and look to buy at least one on my next trip to the store. 2 meaning that I will forgo it on the next trip unless there are no number 1's and no new IPAs to sample in stock. 3 is left for the IPAs that I have sampled and will leave for someone else to enjoy.


Go Drink an IPA!!!!

I like beer. I guess what I should say is I love IPA. In the past few years I have grown to really appreciate the sometimes jolting taste of a high quality IPA. Saying that, I am not a beer expert by any strech of the imagination. I am just a rock climber who happens to love IPAs. Now that I live in Japan and IPA's are hard to find where I live, I have decided to write about them when I come across one. In this case I have come across eight. And first up.....

While I was in Alaska I was able to sample several beers. Some I had before, some I had never heard of. The one that stands out the most is Midnight Suns Melt Down double IPA. Measuring in at 8.0% ABV and 80 IBUs the Midnight Sun is a micro brewery in Anchorage, AK. MS brews several IPAs throughout the year. The Sockeye Red IPA is there non seasonal that was very satisfying, but not to the degree of the Melt Down.

Like I said before, I am no beer expert. But the Melt Down has a very nice balance of sweet and bitter. The selected hops gives a very floral smell to start and a nice pop to your tongue right after you swallow. This beer is not overpowering like some DIPAs can be. But rather pundgent with an aromatic hoppiness that will leave you wanting a second.

Let me know if you have ever had this beer and what you think of the Melt Down. I will be posting a series of on the beers that I have come across in my journeys.