3 Stars Pounding Trees Double IPA

I hope 3 stars isn't their goal. I mean, based on my rating scale, 3 stars is actually a good beer, but it's not a great beer. I don't do this to come across good beers - I want great or excellent or tremendous or outstanding or unparalleled beers. Good beers are good, but let's not ship something in from Washington, DC just so we can say, "Yeah, it was good enough."

The excessively cloudy beer has a dull wheat color and a slightly off-white head that has quite a bit of staying power. The aroma is a bit of malt, resin, and citrus hops. Wait - citrus? Why would you call this "Pounding Trees" if it wasn't all about pine hops? Nevertheless, the malt seems to be caramel, and the hops are just citrus, as far as I can tell from smelling.

First sip is a very nice, sweet, laid back kind of beer that has enough flavor to not be forgettable, but it's not overwhelming anything with it. I taste the malt first, and it's both bready and caramel. The resin is definitely assertive, and the citrus hops are pretty mellow by just adding flavor like a bit of lemon in a nice, ice cold water.

Tip-in is resin and citrus with the sweetness from the malt making itself known without really bringing the malt forward at first. The carbonation kicks up for the middle, but it's more like suds than a crackle. All the while, the citrus nestles into a firm bed of crackly caramel malt and the resin hits the back of the throat. The finish is a twang of bitterness with foamy carbonation and citrus easing away from the scene.

Bottom Line: Not 3 Stars. Maybe they need to rename the brewery.

4.0/5