By A few weeks ago, we talked about “Out of Mana”, one of the latest IPAs from Baltimore’s sparkling-new darling, Goonda Beersmiths.
And it was a good beer.
But, like many highly critiqued new breweries, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a tad overhyped. I mean, it was my first, official Goonda beer, and it was really good. But I wasn’t quite as blown away as I’d been promised by so many online groups and respected friends.
And then I opened my can of Knucklepuck DIPA.
Holy. Crap. This, my friends, is a PhD in how to make a Double IPA.
Named after a famous slap shot from The Mighty Ducks (the Goonda guys are big fans of the movies), this deliciousness poured into a glass as a hazy, orangey gold with good carbonation. And with an alcohol content of 7.8% ABV, while high, it’s right in-line with a typical DIPA.
IPAs are known for their hoppy flavors, and this one brewed with Citra (fruity), Simcoe (pine), Amarillo (floral) & Mosaic (earthy) is incredibly complex. You definitely get a lot of citrus flavors, especially grapefruit with a little lemon, but I also got a little bit of pine in there, too. I picked up just a little sourness (probably from the Citra hops), but what makes this beer so nice is the malt sweetness that balances out the hoppy bitterness.
If you can still find some (it was a pretty limited release due to Goonda’s small brewing setup), any IPA fan should definitely grab this up quickly. And don’t share it with your friends, either. You’ll want to keep these little gems all to yourself.
This is, hands down, their best one to date. Super-smooth and full of complex flavors, Knucklepuck is a very mature beer for a small brewery startup like Goonda.
The hype is real, and I’m a fan. I’ll definitely be impatiently awaiting their next round of releases.
Cheers!
Frank About Beer 