Bearded Iris DDH Chief of Chiefs Double IPA

I'm not sure if Bearded Iris will get knocked off of my list of favorite brewers, as they have really worked hard to get there. Yes, Lagunitas has been more consistently high in my ratings, but even their large number of varieties don't match the number that Bearded Iris seems to be coming with. I don't even recall the last new beer that I saw from Lagunitas, and I'm looking. Instead, I get the very good beers from this local brewer.

The familiar juice texture and murkiness is joined by a tangerine orange color with a head that just has no staying power. Yes, there's a dusting that lingers quite a bit, but there isn't going to be any lacing, and that's a miss, in my book. The aroma is very much grapefruit with other citrus tossed in just to make things a bit more interesting, but that grapefruit is right in my face.

First sip is strong with the citrus. It's a good balance of sweetness to eliminate the bitterness, but it definitely has gone toward the tart-but-sweet to go with the grapefruit to make it more of the taste of a grapefruit with sugar added on top of it, but it is a lot stronger and meatier than that. How much?

Tip-in is grapefruit, apricot, and tangerine with mild carbonation burn - the tart is noticeable right off the bat. The middle is a rich mix of citrus and tropical fruits (and even some pine) with a sweetness floating on top and a bottom still bringing the tart. The finish comes with a hit of bitterness and tartness with a lot of other fruits and even some biscuit.

Bottom Line: Too much citrus? No, I don't believe it. Still, it is much for the average person.

3.75/5