Malt....it's your friend

Another great IPA fest is currently underway at Quenchers saloon. This year things a running are little different and I think the new system is great. Here's how it works: The fest lasts six weeks with a new batch of 6 beers every week. There have been some notables thus far including; Rogue XS Imperial IPA, Founders Devil Dancer, Victory Cask Conditioned Hop Wallop, Dog Fish Head Burton Baton and a host of others.

Everyone has their very own beer palate and I've never been one to get in a long debate about it. I will however give my quick bit of personal insight on imperial and double IPA's that are so very popular in American brewing. Balance is the key ingredient. The IPA's that work the best for me are those that strike a balance of body with huge bitter pop that you get in these intensely flavored beers. This is almost always accomplished by packing a heavy dose of malt with the smashing strength of the hops. The Burton Baton does this and does it with out making the beer seem heavy (all while running %10 ABV and probably 90IBU's). Anyway this brings me to the topic of today's blog....Malt, your friend your neighbor your undoing if you aren't careful.

Although it happens to be hopfest my highlight has been a barley wine that I recently discovered is now being served in convenient 12oz. bottles, Arcadia's Cereal Killer. This is a strong beer, but one you just can't seem to put down. A complex array of flavor wrapped in a pocket of malty goodness. As I research it I also discover I am not the only person who really digs this stuff. They won the gold at the Great American Beer Festival last year in the barrel aged category. This what Arcadia has to say about it...

"Brewed in the traditional English style of Barleywines, Cereal Killer is an explosion of full-bodied, malty goodness. Huge syrupy flavors flow over caramel, toffee, molasses and toasty notes. All these rich malt flavors are balanced out nicely by just the right amount of citrus-like hoppy bitterness. A high alcohol content makes this a beer for the cellar. As this brew ages, it will continue to develop more sherry-like flavors and aromas similar to a cask-aged port."

My last bit of advice would be to explore the wonderful world of malt and have yourself an Arcadia on your next beer adventure.