Speakeasy Double Daddy IPA

Brewed by Speakeasy Ales and Lagers
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
San Francisco, California USA

This was my gateway beer to double IPAs, so I thought I’d revisit it for a review. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass. Peachy gold color with ample white head that settles to a cap, leaving a bunch of lacing. Zesty citric hops dominate the aroma, with orange rind and grapefruit. Flavor is much the same with a ton of acrid grapefruit and an even bitterness. There’s a little caramel and a little grain making up the malt profile but they’re completely demolished by hops. Finish is nice and dry. A little booziness hurts the drinkability. Lacks the complexity of a top tier double IPA but it’s still good.

On tap at Downtown Johnny Brown’s. Poured a hazy golden hue with a very intense totally hop forward aroma. Mouthfeel is full and crisp with what to me tasted alot like fresh cut green apples and smooth malts. Abv is very well integrated and not all all overpowering. Again, I’m not a huge hop-head but this was a very enjoyable brew and a very well crafted IpA.

Strong hoppy flavor and aroma. Some sweet citrus on the finish. If you enjoy a good IPA, this is for you.

Bottle. Pours yellow gold with white head. Hop fruit aroma. Taste is overly sweet with minimal hops.

Pours cloudy somewhat dark orange with a lasting lace leaving, white head. Smell is fresh, clean, lightly floral but subdued. Perhaps not super fresh, but not intensely hopped in the nose. Taste is sweet and and slightly astringent and hopped strongly. Some floral, tea like flavors, a noticeable bit of alcohol and a warming feel as it goes down. Somewhat sticky sweet backing with ample bitterness to compensate. A bit too much alcohol and a slightly unpleasant bitterness. Not bad, but not one of my favorite double IPAs. Drinkable and worth a try, however.

Very fresh and strong, clean, citrus, pine hop nose suggests tangerines, lime and spruce. Brilliantly clear deep golden body is topped by a foamy, large bubbled head that recedes to a thin partial cover with slight lacing. Strong malt sweetness is up front but joined immediately by pungent citrus and spicy pine/spruce hops with plenty of bitterness as well. Bitterness lingers on the tongue. Quite dry in character with somewhat low carbonation. Moderate warming. I’m not in love with the mouthfeel which detracts from overall enjoyment for me. Tulip glass. Cellar temperature. Bottle (Brewery Creek, Mar-08).

God I love this beer. Pours a lovely copper-gold with a small short-lived head and nice lacing throughout. Aroma is delicious - sweet and hoppy, fresh and inviting. Tastes exceptionally good; solid moderately sweet malting gives way to a fresh hop and fusel finish - reminds me of the line "like a brick wrapped in velvet". Great creamy body & excellent snappy carbonation. What a great, great beer. Sweet enough to be sessionable, bitter enough to mask a bit (not a lot) of the alcohol so that you fool yourself into thinking that you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.

I could drink this beer until the very end of time, until God himself stood waiting with a mop, looking expectantly at his watch as I, lone patron of his earthly establishment, languished in the perpetual penultimate sip. Hats off to Speakeasy!

I believe this one is underrated because it seems like a solid IIP with a strong hint of mustard seed and floral tones in a well balanced bitter mix. The alcohol is well hidden. The mouthfeel has a creamy finish. It is a bit on the grassy side in the end but I like the garden feel.