Grab A Beer: Marin White Knuckle Double IPA

November 6th, 2009 · No Comments · Beer Reviews, California Beer

Marin White Knuckle Double IPA
Alcohol by Volume: 8.0%

Intro: I’ve been looking for a bottle of this since it took 1st place over a lineup of stellar beers in the Imperial IPA category at my IPA Challenge held a couple of months ago at Beveridge Place Pub. It was a surprise champion to just about everyone, as I’m not sure any of the judges had tried it previously.

Description: Pours a slightly hazy copper with medium head. Aroma is pine and citrus hops with a sugary malt background. This is definitely one hoppy beer, but sweet malt balances almost too well. The malt profile is almost a little too syrupy sweet and resiny for my liking, but it’s still very enjoyable. The hop flavors in my bottle don’t “pop” as much as I’d like, and it makes me wonder if this one sat on the shelf for a little while (It was like $13/bottle and hidden behind a pole). The bitterness is there in spades, but the hop flavors just don’t measure up. This is a very solid IPA in this form, but I think I’d have to re-visit a fresher bottle to say how well it measures up to Pliny, etc.

Verdict: Buy It
Availability: I bought my bottle at Belmont Station in Portland. This is not currently distributed in Seattle as far as I know.

Brewery Website
Ratebeer Info
BeerAdvocate Info

Commercial Description/Press Release:

“White Knuckle Ale” is a Double India Pale Ale. That’s right, twice the malt and twice the hops in one 14 barrel batch. It is named in honor of the exciting bike trail on Mt. Tam. If you’re a “hophead ”, this is ones for you; fat, chewy, resiny, and pungent! Pour into a wide-mouthed glass and get ready to rip!

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