Kiitos may be the new kid on the block when it comes to SLC breweries, but they're wasting no time building up a diverse portfolio of tasty beers, from solid IPAs to creative sours and stouts. Every time I visit, there's at least one new beer that I haven't tried or often even heard about yet. My most recent visit was no exception, as I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had added a New England-style Double IPA to their collection. Having already tried their North East Pale Ale and NE IPA, I had high expectations for the DIPA, and I was not let down. As with their NE IPA, the first thing you notice is the opening, which peels off the entire top of the can instead of just punching a hole in it. I imagine this is a way to still let you get plenty of those tropical fruit and melon odors when you don't have a glass to pour this beer in. But really, you should get a glass for this beer, if for no other reason than to enjoy the gorgeous hazy color.
I'm not usually one to harp on mouthfeel of a beer, but, goddamn, the feel of this beer is downright velvety.
Although I've had several different New England-style IPAs, I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've tried it as a Double. Not surprisingly, it has a very similar flavor profile to the Single version, with loads of melon up front, some tropical fruit notes (papaya?), and a bit of lingering citrus. The biggest difference between the Double and the Single is, as expected, a maltier backbone and a bit more alcohol on the finish, although I will say this beer definitely doesn't taste nearly as strong as its 9.0% ABV would suggest. I'm not usually one to harp on mouthfeel of a beer, but, goddamn, the feel of this beer is downright velvety. Seriously, it's like an oatmeal stout that decided to leave the family farm of roasty malt flavors behind and embark on an exciting new life of tropical hops in the city, and I gotta say, I respect the hell out of it for making such a brave choice. If you or someone you know claims to not like IPAs, this is one of the beers that could change that. Lindsay can't even stand regular ol' APAs, but she loved this beer, thanks to its extremely low bitterness and fruit flavors. This is the perfect brewski for enjoying on a hot beach or a sunny campsite, just be careful—it would be far too easy to slurp down one too many of these in one sitting and find yourself struggling to walk straight afterwards.
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