Naturally, after writing a blog post about my fondness of beer, I couldn't help but think of this as an opportunity to experiment a bit with my writing. Describing flavors is never as easy as it sounds, especially if you don't understand what goes into making the taste you are trying to depict. This sort of thing takes practice, and what better place to practice than out in the open for everyone to see. As my Band teacher always told me "Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect." So - lets taste some beer!

For my first edition of Brewer's Delight, I've selected a Heavy Seas Seasonal called Riptide. This is a White IPA, which I assume got its name from the Belgian Yeast used in the brewing process. This delightful hybrid brew is incredibly smooth and lacks the bitter bite most IPAs are associated with. Instead, Riptide indulges your senses with a light citrus note mixed with spices. Perfectly blending the heavy citrus nose of a Belgian White with the floral accents of an IPA, Riptide provides a hybrid taste which left me surprised. There is a slight taste of clove just after the brew leaves your pallet. This leaves a bit of a sweet after taste which makes you thirsty for more.

The Heavy Seas brand of beer is brewed by Clipper City Brewery in Baltimore, Maryland. They describe their hybrid as follows:

Riptide white IPA is a beer brewed with a malt body similar to a Belgian style Wit with loads of torrified wheat.  It’s hopped like an IPA, but we use a unique blend of Czech Saaz, French Strisselspalt, Calypso, Centennial and Cascade hops to create a big citrus nose and flavor with floral accents.  To complete the feel of the wit style, we push the beer through our hopback which is loaded with Spanish sweet orange peel, Curaçao bitter orange peel, coriander, and a generous helping of hops.  It’s fermented with a classic Belgian Wit yeast which provides all of the fruity and spicy notes you’d expect.  We then blast the tank with our hop cannon which is loaded with Calypso, Strisselspalt, and Citra hops and more orange peel.  The beer is then lightly filtered to retain all of the exceptional yeast character.

This is an easy drinking IPA which is perfect for Summer. Suggested pairings include fresh fruits and fish, but I'd suggest trying it with any of your favorite grilled meats. This evening, I paired Riptide with a Montreal seasoned chicken breast. The tangy marinade did much to compliment this beer. Eventually, I'd really like to take a six pack of these out on the boat. I'd imagine it to be the perfect companion for a relaxing fishing trip. 

I judge beers on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being watered down chemical water and 10 being the greatest of artisan craft brewing. Artisan beers which stick with one traditional style and get it right are relatively common among craft brewers. These would rate at 8/10. A few of these brewers do more than just get it right as their special touch adds a certain enjoyable element to an already amazing brew. Riptide manages to combine two traditional styles into an incredibly pleasing hybrid which is unlike any other. As such, it has earned a 10/10 on my scale for being both original, but also thoroughly creative while pleasantly combining two of my favorite styles of beer.