‘Tis the Season….. to be tailgating
It’s about the time of year when it just feels great to get out and grill with some friends, enjoy a crisp refreshing beer out at the ballpark, and just enjoy a relaxing time tailgating. It’s starting to heat up out there and that means something refreshing on the palette is in order. To fill that role we’ve got Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA. Don’t be fooled by the name, there aren’t any fruits in this beer, but the hop selection lends a great fruity character to this refreshing beer.
If you’re looking for something to take out to your next Trailergating event that won’t overwhelm you with bitterness, but still has some amazing hop flavor and aroma, this brew’s for you. Now, onto the beer!
Vital Stats
Category – American IPA (BJCP Category 21A)
Origin – Deschutes Brewery (Oregon, USA)
ABV – 6.4%
IBU – 60
Aroma – The first thing that you get when smelling the effervescent head of this beer is fruit. It carries notes of pineapple, peach, and various citrus fruits in the nose. It is immediately apparent that this is a hop-forward beer. While it is strongly hopped, the impression the fruit characters impart give the beer a light first impression. Some other hop bomb IPAs can give you hints of more sweet malt due to higher alcohol content requiring more grains to be used in the recipe. This beer gives a light crisp moderate malt aroma that balances nicely with the variety of hops.
Appearance – As is typical with this style of beer the color comes out a light amber / gold after the head settled. The foam atop this beer has a cream color and persisted nicely with tight bubbles, and while drinking the beer it laced nicely down the glass.
Flavor – You guessed it, this is a hop forward beer. There is a clean malt backbone to balance the bitterness with its grainy sweetness. The citrus flavor from the hops adds a slight bite to the beer that seems appropriate for the style. There were no yeast characteristics detectable which gives the impression of a very clean fermentation. There is no one fruit detectable in the flavor, but it ranges from those present in the aroma to even a slight green grape or green apple tartness. It is almost a fruit salad of flavors present.
Mouthfeel – The medium body of this beer is what you would expect from an IPA. It finished dry with just a slight hint of astringency from the hops, but only what is well within the style guidelines for this hoppy of a beer. Moderate carbonation seemed appropriate and balanced nicely with the other characteristics of the beer.
Overall – This is a refreshing and exceptionally drinkable IPA. Every aspect comes across clean and balanced. It provides lots of hop flavor and aroma without overwhelming your senses with extreme bitterness. All the fruit characters from the varieties of hops chosen balance nicely and represent the name of the beer appropriately. This beverage would provide the perfect amount of drinkable hoppiness that would be great to cut through the grease when enjoying some grilling out at a springtime tailgate.
As always, if you want a review of a specific beer you’re curious about I’m open to feedback. Please leave a comment if you have other notes on this beer to add.
Drink on!
