Bearded Iris "Chief of Chiefs" Double IPA

As far as I'm concerned, Bearded Iris is one of the best breweries out there. Here's the thing, though; their record doesn't necessarily support this assertion. Yes, they do well, but they seem to be - generally - pretty average. Their bar chart is leaning pretty significantly to the right, but they are more spread out than they should be. That said, they have a special place in my heart, and I can't really say why.

The yellow beer has the same dense nature to it that pretty much all of the Bearded Iris beers have. The white bubbles are sticky enough, but they don't leave a whole ton of lacing before descending to the uneven and incomplete layer on top of the beer. The aroma is aggressive with citrus over tropical fruits. Not sure where the spikiness is coming from, but it is very... intimidating. 

First sip is dramatic. The peels and seeds feel forward, but I think that's the underlying bitterness that the malt isn't holding back. I'm not sure why the malt isn't doing its job, and the nature of a DIPA is that it tends to be overly malty to kind of make up for all of the bitter hops. It's not doing it in a sip, but maybe it's just the sip that lacks balance.

Tip-in is bitter and (slightly) tart mango, orange, and grapefruit with mild carbonation tingle. The middle spreads into a mellow mix of fruits with carbonation hitting the roof of the mouth but not taking over things. The finish is bitter and turns dry as peels take hold for the trail-off.

Bottom Line: Pretty good. 

2.75/5