Beer of the Weekend #505: Flipside Red IPA
After taking a backseat to much more important matters, BotW returns to its Friday timeslot. And the beer this weekend is something I have been eyeing all week, every time I opened my fridge: Flipside Red IPA, brewed by the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company of Chico, California.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. A batch code is printed on the shoulder but there is no discernable freshness date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is hazy, ruddy amber. Two fingers of eggshell-colored (almost light tan) head left lacing along the glass, a bubbly skim, and a ring around the edge.
Smell: Très délicieux! It has a massive malt foundation of toasted malts, caramel, toffee, and chocolate, but invigorating grapefruit, mango, and tangerine citrus, as well as a hint of cattiness, provide a nice pungency.
Taste: The first couple sips are dominated by the citrus and catty qualities, but the malts slowly emerge and almost provide a balance. Caramel, toffee, and toasted malts linger in the background. The citrus fades for a second, but the grapefruit and tangerine reemerge momentarily before they are overpowered by the cattiness and bitterness, which continues working on the uvula and tonsils after each sip.
Drinkability: Good stuff! It is a tad too bitter, I think; I wish it were a little better balanced.
Fun facts about Flipside:
-Style: It is classified on BA as “American Amber/Red Ale.”
-Price: $7.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Alcohol content: 6.2 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: The beer’s webpage offers pairing for “cuisine” (“Asian spiced dishes, Steak fajitas”), cheese (“Port-Salut or other lightly tangy cheese”), and dessert (“Caramel based desserts”).
-IBU: 60.
-Interesting stuff courtesy of the beer’s webpage:
-Flip cup!
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. A batch code is printed on the shoulder but there is no discernable freshness date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is hazy, ruddy amber. Two fingers of eggshell-colored (almost light tan) head left lacing along the glass, a bubbly skim, and a ring around the edge.
Smell: Très délicieux! It has a massive malt foundation of toasted malts, caramel, toffee, and chocolate, but invigorating grapefruit, mango, and tangerine citrus, as well as a hint of cattiness, provide a nice pungency.
Taste: The first couple sips are dominated by the citrus and catty qualities, but the malts slowly emerge and almost provide a balance. Caramel, toffee, and toasted malts linger in the background. The citrus fades for a second, but the grapefruit and tangerine reemerge momentarily before they are overpowered by the cattiness and bitterness, which continues working on the uvula and tonsils after each sip.
Drinkability: Good stuff! It is a tad too bitter, I think; I wish it were a little better balanced.
Fun facts about Flipside:
-Style: It is classified on BA as “American Amber/Red Ale.”
-Price: $7.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Alcohol content: 6.2 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: The beer’s webpage offers pairing for “cuisine” (“Asian spiced dishes, Steak fajitas”), cheese (“Port-Salut or other lightly tangy cheese”), and dessert (“Caramel based desserts”).
-IBU: 60.
-Interesting stuff courtesy of the beer’s webpage:
Worldwide, Americans have something of an outsized reputation. Bold, brash and brazen. To some, that boldness is perceived as arrogance, but for us it’s just daring spirit and a thirst for adventure. The term “American” in brewing is not necessarily a sign of origin, but rather a brewing ethos and homage to that daring nature we love so much. In the early days of the craft brewing movement there were far fewer beer styles and what was on record largely comprised the historical ales of the UK and the lagers of Germany. As American brewers began experimenting with homegrown ingredients and their own techniques, they inadvertently created beer so unique it defied conventional categories. Instead of a traditional pale ale, there all of a sudden was American pale ale—a new, rowdy hybrid of the older beer, intense with hop flavor and aroma. American-style beer is shorthand for the kind of brewing we do at Sierra Nevada—a reference to the use of a clean, crisp and neutral yeast, and a healthy dose of hops quite appropriate for the adventurer in us all.
-Flip cup!
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
