The 16 Tons Taphouse is hosting a double IPA-based event that's providing a great opportunity to try 3 of Cascadia's best IPAs - Russian River's Pliny the Elder, Block 15's Sticky Hands, and Stone's Enjoy By 2.14.15 - side by side.
A couple of friends keyed me into the event, and I went this afternoon to check it out.
Stone's Enjoy By series has been that rare thing - a marketing-based gimmick that actually created a superior product. The 2.14.15 edition is extremely juicy, citrus-focused, and sweet, with the high alcohol content announcing itself mostly in the heavy mouthfeel.
Sticky Hands has had a number of iterations, usually focusing on different hop flavors and profiles. The one on offer at 16 Tons is of the more skunky, resin-forward ilk. For pure hop flavor, it's peerless, though the malt is necessarily on the lighter side.
Pliny almost needs no introduction. It's the definition of a well-balanced IPA - malt, hops, and alcohol working in nigh-perfect harmony. But interestingly, because of this balance and its characteristically clean finish, it ended up being the most forgettable among the three.
Being able to taste and compare 3 world-class double IPAs in a flight reveals interesting nuances in their flavor profiles. At base, they're all designed to be hop delivery vehicles, but the three breweries take a very distinct approach to achieving that end.
If you're in the area, I'd recommend checking this event out. It's running through tomorrow, officially, and I can't imagine Pliny will last much longer than that.
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